Ultralight puts down in Banks Strait, Tasmania

[Rotorwork]

From ABC News

 

Lucky Boys

 

Fly Safe R W

 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-10-28/two-men-rescued-from-sea-off-tasmanias-north-east-coast/5050482?section=tas

 

Tasmanian police say two men who crashed their ultralight plane into Bass Strait this afternoon were lucky to survive with only minor injuries.

 

The pair crashed into the water in the Waterhouse Island area north of Bridport about 3.00pm and were rescued by police boat and helicopter.

 

Detective Sergeant Mike Gillies said the men did well to crash into the sea and get away relatively unscathed.

 

"I believe they made some phone calls to search-and-rescue authorities who gave them some advice," he said.

 

"They were also in possession of a personal locator beacon that was used to pinpoint their location once they had actually crashed."

 

Air and marine rescue crews from Tasmania and Victoria were sent to Waterhouse Island after receiving a distress call.

 

The plane's two occupants were spotted in the water wearing life jackets and were rescued by a police boat just before 5:00pm.

 

They were then transferred to helicopter and flown to hospital, suffering from hypothermia.

 

The thruster ultralight took off from Bridport this afternoon and was on its way to Newcastle.

 

It is understood engine failure caused the plane to ditch into Banks Strait.

 

 

[David Isaac]

Well done Boys ... pity about the thruster ...

 

 

[sfGnome]

Ah, Thruster. That's why they were floating free. I've often wondered how you'd go getting out of an upturned, enclosed cabin under water - especially a low wing.

 

 

[David Isaac]

I am told there is a group who frequently fly Drifters to Tas and back.

 

 

[paulh]

Thank goodness, a crash, a successful rescue and the two men are safe!!

 

I'm over it, reading about the series of fatal crashes in recent times ....... of course not wishing to be insensitive to the family and friends of the ones who weren't so fortunate. Just don't want to keep seeing crumpled wreckage and bad outcomes.

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Well done boys, and big cahoolies for even having the guts to fly Bass straight in a poor old Thruster !.........who said real adventure isn't still alive....if old Bleroit can fly the bloody channel.............bravo...........Maj....

 

 

[farri]

I am told there is a group who frequently fly Drifters to Tas and back.

It`s easy to tell those who have never had an engine failure by their attitude and the tracks they choose to fly!!!

 

Frank.

 

Ps, Glad to see no one hurt in the ditching!

 

 

[facthunter]

You wouldn't actually last too long in the water this time if year. Bass Strait is not hot anytime. Nev

 

 

[David Isaac]

You wouldn't actually last too long in the water this time if year. Bass Strait is not hot anytime. Nev

I wouldn't fly over water in a 2S unless I was wearing a full dry suit. It would also keep you warm in the open cockpit.

 

 

[Head in the clouds]

Well done boys, and big cahoolies for even having the guts to fly Bass straight in a poor old Thruster !.........who said real adventure isn't still alive....if old Bleroit can fly the bloody channel.............bravo...........Maj....

Hear, hear, glad to see the spirit of adventure lives on. And made history too - first successful rescue from a bass Strait ditching?

 

According to the pilot's description they removed seat belts prior to ditching, presumably to avoid any chance of entanglement, but what does everyone else think about that?

 

EDIT - They did say they got got pretty cut up and were then concerned about attracting sharks ... and yes, the plane flipped.

 

 

[dazza 38]

Hear, hear, glad to see the spirit of adventure lives on. And made history too - first successful rescue from a bass Strait ditching?According to the pilot's description they removed seat belts prior to ditching, presumably to avoid any chance of entanglement, but what does everyone else think about that?

I would leave it on. I wouldn't want to be knocked out in the impact by flying forward into a instrument panel.

 

 

[David Isaac]

Not sure I would do that, but it would depend on the cockpit configuration. A Thruster landing into wind over water would hit the water at a fairly low speed would it not? What is their stall speed?

 

I wonder if she stayed upright or flipped over, either way if she had the buoyancy that was reported, she should have floated even if it flipped.

 

I would be concerned about initial impact injury against cockpit components, so I doubt I would remove the belt, but I would plan my release actions as I was gliding to splash down. But I am a pure theorist in this instance.

 

Hopefully the boys will come on this forum and tell us their experiences which I would suggest are unique in the Ultralight world

 

 

[facthunter]

The seat belt is designed for the situation where they chose to remove it. you can't do a lot if you are unconscious. IF you fly straight into the side of a wave it is like a solid object A lot of aircraft invert.. You land along the swell and into wind ( or the best you can achieve with those priorities).. Slow as safe but don't stall it in..Nev

 

 

[cooperplace]

Well done Boys ... pity about the thruster ...

bugger the thruster; two families are celebrating return of their loved ones; full marks also to the police and emergency services.

 

 

[farri]

According to the pilot's description they removed seat belts prior to ditching, presumably to avoid any chance of entanglement, but what does everyone else think about that?

Because no two situations are exactly alike, the decission to have the seat belt on or off, needs to be made by those in the aircraft, at the time.

 

My opinion only!....Frank.

 

 

[Methusala]

I find it extremely foolhardy to attempt what these two did. And Eugene Reid was apparently there to wave them off! (Shaking his head in disbelief) Regards, Don

 

 

[farri]

Don, I can`t say I disagree with you! I`d like to know what engine was on the aircraft.

 

Frank.

 

 

[Teckair]

I find it extremely foolhardy to attempt what these two did. And Eugene Reid was apparently there to wave them off! (Shaking his head in disbelief) Regards, Don

From memory Eugene Reid used to do it in a Thruster himself. But I agree, I would not attempt to fly a Thruster across there.

 

 

[M61A1]

From memory Eugene Reid used to do it in a Thruster himself. But I agree, I would not attempt to fly a Thruster across there.

I think if I had to choose, I'd rather have my engine out over water than trees. How many see no problem with that? (flying over dense scrub/forest)

 

 

[alf jessup]

These guys had all the required safety gear to do the flight and I do not believe it was fool hardy of them to attempt the crossing just because it was a 2 stroke, a 4 stroke can fail as easy as a 2 banger, so all our 100+kt plastic fantastic with the ever reliable 4 stroke in them is not immune from failing.

 

Fool hardy to me is if these 2 intrepid aviators departed with no life jackets/safety gear, no epirb ect, yeah they could have worn an immersion suit for the crossing but they didn't, they were smart enough to contact EM service on the way down , they activated the epirb and they survived the ordeal which is a good outcome.

 

The engine doesn't know if it is over water or mountains, they were just unlucky they had a failure and had to ditch, they may have also been lucky that the failure wasn't over bush on the way to the water.

 

Fool hardy pilots to me are the ones that do beat ups over mates places to show off, scud run, and fly at tree top level.

 

Would I attempt the crossing in my plane, yeah I would knowing full well the risks if she was to go down, but I would be no different to these guys and have all the safety equipment required for the crossing but still hoping my trusty 912 would keep on going.

 

My 2 bob on it

 

Alf

 

 

[Teckair]

I think if I had to choose, I'd rather have my engine out over water than trees. How many see no problem with that? (flying over dense scrub/forest)

The smartest thing is not to choose either of those two options. I have avoided both so far, I prefer to have an appropriate emergency landing area within gliding distance, this does not include water (Bass Strait) or trees.

 

 

[DrZoos]

When we stop exploring and sit on our hands we are dead.....Live a little.

 

These guys did all the right things and this is exactly how it should go, by the textbook if things go wrong....

 

Good on them, they would have known the risks and they took that risk, well prepared and well equipped....

 

Thumbs up to everyone involved

 

 

[David Isaac]

Oh I can just hear what could happen next as a result of this ".... we should ban these irresponsible people from doing this. we should pass legislation to prevent a repeat ..."

 

Where is adventure without risk ....??????

 

 

[dlegg]

Straight from the horses mouth

 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-10-28/rescued-men-lucky-to-survive-crash-off-tasmanias-north-east/5050482

 

 

[metalman]

Oh I can just hear what could happen next as a result of this ".... we should ban these irresponsible people from doing this. we should pass legislation to prevent a repeat ..."Where is adventure without risk ....??????

AMEN brother, I lament the cotton wool brigade, I got asked about whether we should rescue sailors in the southern ocean , well, I reckon a big YES, so many people live out there lives on a bloody couch, and with the ridiculous crap our pollies have spent our money on,,,,,a few thousand bucks to give an adventurer a hand is a pittance. I reckon good on them, it was well planned and if the damn engine had gone okay it would've been a non event for the rest of us and a pretty cool event in the two aviators lives. I'm keen to fly my RV6 to NZ when it's done ,it'll be well planned ,thought out trip, and if it goes pear shaped then so be it,

Matty