Bertorelli on ditching • wet way or the highway.

[Garfly]

 

 

 

[Student Pilot]

Didn't watch the vid, internet too slow. I'm sure this has been covered here before. I am very hesitant of ditching, I do work in some remote areas with quite a bit of water, maybe 50%. I would always go for the timber, the water here is usually below 10C. Combine that with an inverted aircraft and maybe some injuries and cockpit egress difficultly because of impact damage and it narrows your chances considerably.

[IBob]

38 minutes ago, Student Pilot said:

Didn't watch the vid..........

Probably a good idea to watch it, I found it useful and informative:

It's not a video about how best to ditch, it's a video that presents stats on survival from ditching, which indicate the chances are very good.

And it starts with an incident where a pilot chose a bridge landing, with resultant fatalities, when there were adjacent beaches and water, both inland and and offshore, at either side of the bridge.
In other words, it suggests not dismissing ditching as a viable option, on the basis that the survival rate is very high.

[Yenn]

The statistics may make water look like a good option, but it is scary.

With fixed gear as most of us here have I am pretty sure that the deceleration forces of the gear, when it hits the water will result in the nose going in the water. That is going to cause a rapid total deceleration, throwing you into your harness and probably your head into the panel. Immediately followed by sinking. Figures may make it look good but it sure is scary.

[RossK]

It's an informative video, worth watching and keeping in mind. 

Video also has a clip of a high wing, fixed gear ditching and it doesn't nose over like we expect it to.

Exec Summary - 90% of ditchings are survivable, scary yes, but don't discount the option.

[Garfly]

 

Facing a ditching situation might make you glad of having a BRS thingy to pull.  A gentle-ish let down under canopy is not so scary a prospect (yes, winds allowing).  Plus, on the way down, you might have time to gather your stuff, open the doors (or not), make a passenger announcement ("Look, awfully sorry about all this but ....").  Might even be time to call home (or AMSA, if you fancy a free chopper ride.  ;- )

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 20, 2022 by Garfly

[facthunter]

Ring the insurance company as well.  Ditching can put out fires and  you want as short a time as possible in the air (commensurate with safety).   Nev

[Garfly]

33 minutes ago, facthunter said:

Ring the insurance company as well.  Ditching can put out fires and  you want as short a time as possible in the air (commensurate with safety).   Nev

Heck, there might even be time to post a quick report here.  (Trevor Jacob eat your heart out!)

And yes, a being-on-fire situation combined with a ditching situation might make you glad of not having a BRS thingy to pull (for more reasons than one  ;- )

 

Edited May 20, 2022 by Garfly

[F10]

This is a sad story, that 172 pilot nearly pulled it off, but I’m surprised he never went for the beach. Ditching a fixed gear aircraft, is always going to be problematic, but better than a busy highway. Paul’s comment on opening doors is a good one, so fuselage distortion doesn’t jam them closed. Cherokee’s with their single doors are scary…..! The recent ditching of that Rockwell 114 in QLD I think, is a tragic example. I would have hoped they could have got out.