I have a dedicated electronic Co detector in the panel in my uncertified ‘plane. It always goes off in the approach configuration which is kind of annoying but reassuring at the same time.
The report explains that Sala had more Co saturation than the body can handle so it follows that the pilot must have had too. Why anyone would volunteer a bet on this not being a causal factor is a mystery to me.
Graham wrote:
It would not be that technically difficult to build a CO detector into the cabin air stream and have it close a valve to isolate the heat exchanger if it detected CO, would it?
A failure of that item could depressurise the aircraft.
This will be one interesting accident report.
Gosh, what a development?
I, amongst many people felt privately critical of Ibbotson for conducting a flight beyond his licensing and most probably his experience.
But if his passenger suffered debilitating and even marginally fatal levels of CO inhalation, it is almost certain he suffered similar levels. In an open cabin like the PA46, dynamic mixing of CO would happen and surely gasses would be evenly distributed in the cabin volume?
Anyone for a computational fluid dynamic (CFD) analysis of the ventilation system of the PA46 and cabin to assess if the pilot experienced the same environment as the passenger? In the absence of aircraft recovery the AAIB may need to consider that to associate the CO levels in Salas’ body to what might have affected the pilot.
But hang on a minute, with this release of the aero medical data maybe they do need to reconsider wreckage recovery? But with the crash distress to the structure and ventilation system would they find anything? Difficult cost-benefit analysis that one.
For the first time I am feeling some empathy for David Ibbotson……
Peter wrote:
I have it from another owner (of several years’, and a diligent guy) that CO inflow is much less likely if operated pressurised.
He just reminded me of the same thing. I had forgotten the relative pressures of the two airstreams meaning CO is very unlikely to get into the pressurised airflow. It does seem unlikely that the pressurisation was on.
They will have cockpit photos which will show if pressurisation was selected on.
Yes Peter you are probably right that minor CO ingress have been reported before. But I think the other CO reports and their effects have been anecdotal? In this case the carboxyhemoglobin % was forensically measured in a deceased passenger….. That is a very significant indicator what was happening in that cabin. I offer no explanation why, but the cabin environment could readily explain the piloting outcome…
Anyone else feel the emphasis of the investigation will extend to the aircraft owner, operator, maintenance organisation and the FAA designated inspector now?
