AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - May 2022 - 88

RUDDER & WRENCH
impaired and can no longer realistically
recognize that you are affected. It's like
drinking four glasses of punch at a party
before being told it's 50-percent vodka.
Now it's too late. In the case of CO, your
brain will be too muddled for you to fly
well. And it can happen fast. If the exposure
continues, you'll literally pass out. And
that, as noted, leads to the NTSB showing
up-once again-at the scene of a CO crime.
An NTSB review of accidents from
1982 to 2020 attributed 31 accidents and
42 fatalities to carbon monoxide poisoning,
and the NTSB estimates more cases may
have gone undetected. The NTSB recently
issued an aviation investigation report, urging
the FAA-for a second time-to require
all enclosed-cabin GA airplanes with
reciprocating engines be equipped with
CO detectors. They also released a Safety
Alert YouTube video, written a blog post
on the subject, and called on AOPA and
the Experimental Aircraft Association to
remind their members of the dangers.
Most aircraft owners aren't too keen on
more mandates for installed equipment;
and most pilots aren't too keen on more
airworthiness items to track. But with our
traditional first line of defense-recognizing
the symptoms of CO poisoning-being
unreliable, what else can we do? Of course,
you should always remain alert to even the
slightest symptoms that match up with
those of CO poisoning, and keep the possibility
of CO in mind, but there are three
other things you can do to keep safe from
Carbon monoxide
detector
roundup /
While the saying that nothing in
aviation is cheap is true, the cost of
carbon monoxide (CO) detectors has
been dropping. High-quality portable
electronic detectors are now
less than a typical hamburger run, a
panel-mounted unit could well be the
most affordable instrument in the
cockpit, and the traditional " spot "
detectors may be the cheapest
aviation accessory.
Spot detectors /
The classic " spot " detector is a passive
detector that features a " target " that
changes color in the presence of CO.
They can be " installed " (with sticky
tape) anywhere in an airplane or can be
affixed to the back of the pilot's ramp
pass. The lifespan of spot detectors is
three to eighteen months depending
on the model, although environmental
conditions may shorten this.
Advantages: Cost-effective, with the
majority of detectors being priced
less than a gallon of avgas.
Disadvantages: No aural warning,
so the detector must be religiously
included in your visual scan. Additionally,
the color shift may be subtle,
and some models are slow to
react and quickly clear again when
88
AOPA PILOT / May 2022
exposed to fresh air, making them
ill-suited for mission profiles that
involve short flights. Additionally,
spot detectors can be contaminated
by cleaners and solvents routinely
used in aircraft maintenance.
Examples: ASA, Quantum Eye, Save
A Life, Sporty's. $4 to $30.
Portable
detectors /
A wide range of portable electronic
CO detectors are now available,
many of them marketed specifically
for aviation use. All have aural warnings,
and many also feature visual
warnings. Power supplies range
from consumer batteries, to button
batteries, to built-in rechargeable
batteries. Many feature digital
screens that indicate detected levels
of CO, and some units interface with
consumer smart devices.
Advantages: Lightweight, portable,
and cost effective-with most priced
at less than an hour of flying-portables
are a good choice for renter or
club pilots who fly a range of aircraft.
Disadvantages: Some models
are aural only, and depending on
where the unit is placed, pilots may
miss visual warnings on units so
equipped. Being battery powered,
the units can run out of power if
charging/battery change discipline
isn't maintained. The NTSB frets that
consumer models not intended for
aviation might not perform properly
in flight and give pilots a false sense
of confidence that, in turn, could
lead to pilots ignoring CO-poisoning
symptoms.
Examples: Sensorcon AV8, ThinAir
Geiger CO, TOCSIN 3 Cockpit
Monitor. $70 to $170.
Panel-mounted
detectors /
The " gold standard " that the NTSB
would like the FAA to mandate, panel-mounted
CO detectors include
standalone instruments with visual
and aural warnings and behind-thepanel
detectors that interface with
glass cockpit avionics.
Advantages: Powered by the aircraft's
electrical systems, installed CO detectors
are always on. Additionally, the
device is right in front of your face,
making early warning more likely.
Disadvantages: Panel-mounted
units are the most costly detectors
and require installation by a qualified
A&P mechanic. Some models
require internal sensors to be
replaced regularly.
Examples: Aithre Shield, Flight
Data, the Guardian Aero line.
$600 to $800. -WED
AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - May 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - May 2022
