Well, listening to that, beach it was. So, we have the flaps down, the plane on the beach, a declaration over the radio that it is the beach we are going for, and two dead.
Very sad…
BeechBaby wrote:
Very sad…
Indeed. However, if you Google that beach and look at the satellite imagery, you see that he had a point – the other beach (‘Cova do Vapor’) is empty whereas the one he ended up on is full of people, prob90 due to the string of bars and restaurants with parking along it. Still should’ve gone into the sea once he realized he wasn’t going to make it. But then, I’m writing this from the comfort of my desk…….
At most beaches, especially with a life jacket, the surf will push you in 50 meters.
Most? Quite a lot of places will end up with you being blown or pulled out to sea by currents.
In a high adrenaline situation your thought process may be very different from normal, and unpredictable.
If they could not swim, and were not wearing lifejackets, and/or had doubts about escaping from a cockpit under water, (as the C152 would sink to the wings,) other people may have been forgotten. Prison is only for a few years, death is forever.
One report says the aircraft bounced after hitting the man, and then hit the girl’s head. Excessive speed?
It surprises me that the student is reported to be in court as well as the instructor.
PS Flying a low-wing wood-and-fabric aircraft, for engine failure, ditching is my intended option if available in most of the terrain I fly over.
PPS I always wear a lifejacket, but never carry a raft.
“The Sun” has now a surveillance video clip of a few seconds before the crash. The beach is indeed so full of people that nobody could have expected to land there without hitting somebody. Seeing these few seconds removes my last bits of sympathy or understanding for those two “fellow aviators” (“ex fellow aviators” is will soon be). All what would have been needed is a 45 degree turn towards the right. A bit like a car driver whose brakes fail and who chooses to drive into a group of pedestrians instead of the guide rail. Nobody on this planet would even consider to find a possible excuse for that. So why here?
@what_next Agreed. Just watched the clip, there’s not a snowball’s chance in hell they weren’t going to hit someone. And what’s worse – there is nobody in the water !! Just a slight turn right and he could have splashed down close to the shore where help would have been available.
The unfortunate student is unlikely to have had a choice. Telling the student to open the window and shout would have helped. Talking in open cockpit gliders could be heard on the ground from 1000 feet.
The clip. Not sure what to say to be honest. Nose high, fast, onto a crowded beach. Some folks in the water, but they are right at the edge, plenty of open water, angry lynch mob surround aeroplane. The footage of the court entry the instructor individual looks, well, looks arrogant. It may be fear and nerves, but, frankly, the whole affair is appalling. They were lucky to get off the beach without being lynched…..
BeechBaby wrote:
The footage of the court entry …
My Portuguese is very rudimentary, but in that scene they talk about charges of “negligence” and “manslaughter” and 3 to 5 years. Reminds me of capitano Schettino once again.
The wind is so very often coming off the sea in these conditions, and if you watch most beaches there are no swimmers much beyond the surf line, so, with hind sight, landing at right angles pointing out to sea is likely to result in the least collateral damage, and the lowest speed. People survive 85% of ditchings and on most beaches you will find swimmers willing and able to recover you. Of course if the swell is high and short landing parallel may make sense.
