Originally Posted by BushJeppy
If you look on CemAir website, you will read this:
BEECH 1900C Equipment:
Standard IFR package
IFR GPS
Colour Radar
Radar Altitude
406 ELT
TCAS
Flight data recorder
Cockpit voice recorder
Ground Proximity Warning System
HF Radio
Dual Panel
Cargo door
That's interesting information. Let's look at it in a bit more detail:
IFR GPS - Do you mean a GPSR that meets Gamma 1 performance criteria in accordance with RTCA/DO-229C, has been installed in accordance with the TSO, and has been approved by the SA CAA for sole source enroute and approach navigation? Or, perhaps, a pre-2000 GPSR that was installed back when the aircraft was built?
Did this aircraft have dual fitment of appropriately approved GPSRs, considering that GNSS is the only reliable source of navigation information in the area of operations?
Colour Radar - Was it serviceable on September 1?
TCAS - Do you mean TCAS I, TCAS II, or simply TAS (not that it is germane to this accident, but let's have a little precision here)?
Ground Proximity Warning System - GPWS? That 1970s technology has long since been retired in Europe and North America. GPWS has no terrain database and therefore cannot provide any form of predictive warning. All it can do is let you know how you relate to what your radar altimeter sees - in other words, what is directly underneath your aircraft. It offers very little protection in mountainous areas.
Class A TAWS (Terrain Awareness Warning System), which is the ICAO term for what Honeywell originally introduced as EGPWS (their proprietary name) is the current standard for turbine aircraft with 9 or more seats operated commercially. Class A TAWS does provide predictive warning, and does provide 'look-ahead' capability. Does South Africa require Class A TAWS be fitted to 19 seat turbine aircraft engaged in public commercial operations? Did this aircraft have Class A TAWS fitted? Was it functional?
You also wrote:
Originally Posted by BushJeppy
Atlantic Turbine of Prince Edward Island, Canada, undertakes all the maintenance and overhauls on our engines. This highly regarded facility is one of only a few facilities that have been approved by Pratt & Whitney Canada for the overhaul of PT6A engines.
Be that as it may, who did the most recent overhaul on the two engines fitted to this aircraft? Was it Atlantic Turbines? Or was it a shop that is not Pratt & Whitney approved? Are you implying that Atlantic Turbines did the most recent overhaul on the engines of Cemair's 1900C aircraft SN UC-65 (5Y-FLX), the aircraft that crashed in South Sudan on May 2? I don't think so, so let's not mislead the people here, please. Pray tell, what shop most recently overhauled the engines on the aircraft that crashed September 1?
In
another thread, you wrote:
Originally Posted by BushJeppy
...But for that Airserv needs an AOC..
which makes it very clear that you knew AirServ did not have the appropriate AOC to be carrying out public commercial air carrier operations in the DRC.
Does Cem Air have the appropriate AOC to carry out public commercial air carrier operations in the DRC? Did the SA CAA know what Cem Air was doing with that aircraft in the DRC?