Takes Issue With Post Written By Christine Negroni Following Fatal Accident

Icon Aircraft founder Kirk Hawkins has taken issues with a blog post on the Flying Lessons Blog written by Christine Negroni following the fatal accident involving an Icon A5 aircraft on Lake Berryessa in California May 8th.

On her most recent post, Negroni writes that in a conversation with Hawkins, he said that her interpretation of his statement that would seem to indicate the pilot was at fault was flawed. Hawkins said it was Negroni who was speculating, not the company.

Hawkins told Negroni that his statement had been cleared by the NTSB, which she verified was true. But the NTSB told Negroni that they did not say in their preliminary report that there was no exit from the canyon in which the aircraft went down. "He (Hawkins) has said something and opined about his take on that," NTSB communications specialist Peter Knudson told Negroni.

Hawkins also took issue with Negroni's characterization of the sales contract used by Icon. He said that the contract only requires that the company be held harmless in the case of accidents "that NTSB determines is not the fault of the airplane.”

Negroni wrote that she regrets the error, and hopes that the more recent post helps clarify the record.

(Image from file)

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