For this once the sensational bit remained unmentioned: pregnant passenger!
And the naughty one in me can’t help wondering how low they were flying when the fan stopped – if it actually did. Well executed, though, none injured and no material damage except to the plane.
But would it ever fly again? One of the arguments against ditching is that it must be deadly to the engine(s), in most cases. Which is of course a secondary point. For ditching, a low wing with retractable gear must be the least dangerous, yes.
One of the arguments against ditching is that it must be deadly to the engine(s), in most cases.
Which may be of relevance to the insurer, but not to me as a pilot/owner. Provided one has hull insurance, of course.
Cirrus Ditching in the Pacific, yesterday
Yesterday, 250 miles off Maui, Hawaii. A Cirrus SR22T enroute to Hawaii on a ferry flight to Australia reports problems with the Ferry Tank. Seems like the valve didn’t open/work or similar. After trying to repair with help via Sat-Phone the US Cast Guard vectors the Cirrus close toa cruise ship where the Pilot lands via CAPS. He is rescued by the cruise ship.
This is the best video of a CAPS event, very interesting!
http://www.dvidshub.net/video/388574/pilot-safe-after-ditching-253-miles-maui#.VMZToqYgnSf
Whew. I noticed the airframe seem to sink pretty fast and almost took the pilot with him when sitting in the raft on the wing.
Good thing he had USCG SAR resources available & a cruise ship nearby. Otherwise this would have been a very lonely spot…
Good thing he ditched in daylight. Imagine doing this at nighttime, like the poor guys in the Bonanza at American Samoa ½ a year ago…
You know the ferry tank was still full! On COPA they estimate that the plane must have been close to MTOM with the ferry tank still full and with all the safety equipment.
Yes, I often think about that Bonanza crash … that was terrible.
It took a surprisingly long time for the rear lines to rip themselves out of the gelcoat. Prior to that, the aircraft was almost totally nose-down.
I wonder if this delay is as intended i.e. is it factored into the minimum BRS deployment altitude.
It appears that CAPS really didn’t work according to specs.
The ditching looks rather harmless, I’d prefer this 100x over the non BRS method. If the GA industry was actually functional, every plane would have BRS.
Interesting to see this. I’d always assumed I’d do as this pilot did and sit in the raft on the wing while the aircraft sank.
Yes, that looks a little strange. I’ll keep you posted what the COPA specialists think about this …
But anyway, the ditching itself really looked pretty harmless, you’re right Achim
I believe the rear line of the Chute in a Cirrus has a timed line cutter, so that the first few seconds after pulling the chute the occupiers feel a forward pushing decelerating force (for which the seatbelts are designed) and not a whiplash, nose-up, force that could create neck sprain. After a few seconds the pyrotechnic device cuts the rear line and the plane becomes flat under the chute. A friend of mine with a microlight pulled the chute (a basic one without timed line cutters) and, beside a mild whiplash, he was in a pendulum so steep that he risked to complete a loop (with the risk the plane could fall ABOVE the chute, see this: http://video.corriere.it/video-youtube-un-incidente-avvenuto-altipiano-nidwalden-svizzera/a6b90d70-6124-11dc-8619-0003ba99c53b )
