Fixed gear ditching

[N801BH]

I am sure it won't happen in Wyoming. But if you go feet wet in S Florida direct to KEYW and look down you might not be so confident.

I was born and raised in Miami and spent MANY weekends in the glades... I even had a pet alligator ( Sylvestor).. Altho he was only 4 feet long..

 

[Threefingeredjack]

Save for ideal circumstances (Like flying in a strong headwind with next to no groundspeed into the front of a swell) Chances are you're going over.

I seem to recall the ditching procedure in several fixed gear AFMs stating that the occupants should shield their faces with blankets, jackets or anything to avoid getting blasted with plexiglass and water.

Either way, the flip is probably survivable, the key is to get out before you drown... pop the doors first.

I would not recommend ditching into the front of a swell. It would be like hitting a brick wall, and the chances of skipping over and then diving into the foot of the next swell isn't pretty to contemplate.. With any significant wind, coupled with appreciable seas the preferred way to ditch is to accept a crosswind and land in the trough on the back of the swells. Out of four ditchings I responded to in my career the two that were still afloat were both fixed gear and both upright. (The other two were just debris and fuel slicks)

 

[frfly172]

Have your flotation on slow the aircraft and try to land on the back of a swell with the tail going in first,all makes sence to me just don't want to try it.

 

[denverpilot]

Eastern Fl 301 had no victims consumed or even chewed on.....

Value Jet did offer some bite sized appitizers for the gators though.

I believe you meant Eastern 401.

 

[N801BH]

I believe you meant Eastern 401.

I believe you are correct.....

 

[wabower]

I did (once) and wasn't. No mas.

I am sure it won't happen in Wyoming. But if you go feet wet in S Florida direct to KEYW and look down you might not be so confident.

 

[dalealan]

What about slowing over the water and just before the stall, full right rudder to drag the wing tip in the water which would turn the plane some so if it tried to flip over the left wing would hit the water and prevent it from flipping.
Basically a ground loop on the water. This would be a high wing.
Dale

 

[Henning]

What about slowing over the water and just before the stall, full right rudder to drag the wing tip in the water which would turn the plane some so if it tried to flip over the left wing would hit the water and prevent it from flipping.
Basically a ground loop on the water. This would be a high wing.
Dale

Water at speed is hard, if you lock your brakes you will land on it and then sink after you slow down below hydro planing speed. A plane is designed to accept impact in a forward motion vector. Why would you want to add rotational energy to that as well as high levels of asymmetric drag? Spells disaster to me. The keys to any crash: keep the wings level, the tail down and the energy moving in a straight line with the minimal possible energy at the moment of contact.

 

[genetk44]

Flotation is a two edged sword.
We lost one of two folks on a boat when their pilot house boat rolled over when it was hit broadside by a rogue wave. They were wearing auto inflating gear. Which automatically inflated in the rapidly filling underwater cabin trapping them. One managed to roll/claw out the cabin door and then push off the side of the cockpit and pop to the surface.. The other drowned.
So that is the argument for manual control of inflation - which is a two edged sword.
In a plane:
If you are dazed or unconscious you won't pull it in time.
If it is auto inflating you may be trapped in the cabin.

If I remember correctly, that Ethiopian Airlines flight that did that dramatic ditching just of the beach in the Maldives???? Many of the passengers that survived the impact ended up drowning in the cabin because they had inflated their life-vests before exiting the cabin and couldn't get out.

 

[kgruber]

If I remember correctly, that Ethiopian Airlines flight that did that dramatic ditching just of the beach in the Maldives???? Many of the passengers that survived the impact ended up drowning in the cabin because they had inflated their life-vests before exiting the cabin and couldn't get out.

Ethiopia Flight 961 did not "ditch." It crashed into the water.

 

[PilotAlan]

What about slowing over the water and just before the stall, full right rudder to drag the wing tip in the water which would turn the plane some so if it tried to flip over the left wing would hit the water and prevent it from flipping.
Basically a ground loop on the water. This would be a high wing.
Dale

As a former traffic homicide investigator, I can tell you that rotational and side loads cause significantly more injuries and more serious injuries than decelerating in a straight line.
I understand your line of thinking, trying to dissipate energy into multiple axes, but I would do anything and everything I can to avoid the scenario you describe.

EDIT: Also, with a high wing, you would also be creating violent movement on the longitudinal axis at the low wing dragged you around, then the high wing snapped over and hit the water.
Violent movement in the vertical and longitudinal axes simultaneously has a very high likelihood of neck and back injuries, as well as coup-contracoup head injuries.