On Sat, 1 Dec 2007 17:07:39 -0800, C J Campbell
wrote:

The parents of Bryan Jones, a 34 year old Microsoft engineer who was
one of nine skydivers killed in the crash of a Cessna Caravan, are
suing Cessna. The Caravan was returning from Star, Idaho, to Shelton,
Washington. The parents are alleging that the Cessna Caravan was
defective and should not have been flying in icy weather. The airplane
is not certified for flight into known ice, although the plane in
question did have boots.

So, Cessna is being blamed because a pilot may have operated the plane
in direct contradiction to the aircraft flight manual and warnings in
Cessna's operating instructions.

Cessna Caravans can have known icing equipment factory and aftermarket
installed, are you sure this one wasn't so equipped?

Caravans and icing aparantly have a probematic history, going back at
least to AD 2006-01-11R1 which required that additional boots on cargo
pods and handles to make upper wing inspection easier be isntalled,
plus various things I've read but can't recall where right now about
changes to icing procedures WRT minimum airspeeds etc.