Ian Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 Video & text here http://www.pprune.org/private-flying/555366-sr22-parachute-deployment-remarkable-video.html I certainly wouldn't have wanted to try a conventional ditching with 12 foot waves and 28 mph winds!! The parachute system certainly proved its worth there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tip Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 Amazing! Thanks for posting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FastEddieB Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 I followed this in very close to real time last night in bed. Apparently a fuel transfer valve failed in some way, leaving the plane with fuel it could not use. Quite harrowing watching it play out on COPA using the FlightAware track. That video is among the most impressive and nerve-wracking I have seen of an aviation-related incident. Already joked that the pilot almost certainly enjoyed the buffet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WmInce Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 Eddie, Do you know if the ferry outfit was Skyview Aviation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FastEddieB Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 I'll check when I get home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IrishAl Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 If the plane had been dragged the other way round he would have had a harder time getting out. Did he have the option to cut the chute cables after he splashed down to stop it being towed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbigs Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 The Cirrus SR22t G5 is my next plane. And that vid is a big reason why... Why Cessna did not put a chute into the TTx is beyond absurd. And why so many pilots bash the parachute, glass cockpits, and other advanced aviation tech is also a sad commentary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Baker Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 The Cirrus SR22t G5 is my next plane. And that vid is a big reason why... Why Cessna did not put a chute into the TTx is beyond absurd. And why so many pilots bash the parachute, glass cockpits, and other advanced aviation tech is also a sad commentary. How many next plane are you going to have before you actually get a next plane? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ralarcon Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 I followed this in very close to real time last night in bed. Apparently a fuel transfer valve failed in some way, leaving the plane with fuel it could not use. Quite harrowing watching it play out on COPA using the FlightAware track. That video is among the most impressive and nerve-wracking I have seen of an aviation-related incident. Already joked that the pilot almost certainly enjoyed the buffet! Saw the video from the Coast Guard C 130. It was very instructive to see how the BRS deploys and then what happens when it hits the ground or water, in this case. I'm glad it all turned out well. It is sad to know a couple of dollars part was responsible for destroying 1/2 a million airplane. Happens more often than we would like to admit. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingMonkey Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 Good thing he figured out the fuel selector problem BEFORE needing that fuel, so he could get the Coast Guard pre-positioned for the ditching. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingMonkey Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 How many next plane are you going to have before you actually get a next plane? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ralarcon Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 Good thing he figured out the fuel selector problem BEFORE needing that fuel, so he could get the Coast Guard pre-positioned for the ditching. Amen ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmer Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 Actually a single engine for place aircraft with four abord with a year old baby ditched a couple hours later off a Oahu just at sundown. They were somewhere between six and eight minutes from reaching the land they were rescued in about an hour one gentleman no lifevest but the light on another lifevest allowed the Coast Guard which was about 10 miles away to pick everyone in the dark. Someone needs to start doing the math very windy here yesterday and the tourist who rent planes put themselves at great risk when flying around here after dark however all were rescued safely for that we need to be thankful. Farmer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FastEddieB Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 John Fiscus of The Flight Academy says it was "one of his". Whatever that means. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FastEddieB Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 Nice summary in The Atlantic magazine by Jim Fallows, a COPA member: http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2015/01/amazing-footage-of-a-small-plane-being-rescued-by-a-cruise-ship-and-a-parachute/384837/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZAV8OR Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 John Fiscus of The Flight Academy says it was "one of his". Whatever that means. John was indicating that it was one of his ferry crew that was flying. From what I know of John and his team, they are maniacs about safety and preparation. Whatever happened to that valve was the "fickle finger of fate" giving them the finger! Now, stand by for the discussion of why it took so long for the reefing line cutters to blow. Betcha the pilot thought they had failed and was headed for a nose landing. He likely un-puckered (just a bit) when they did fire! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FastEddieB Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 About malfunctioning ferry tank valves... I think I've posted about this before. Ferrying a Cessna cropduster we had the hopper rigged to carry fuel. Usually put 150 gals up there out of a possible 300. That's plus the 50 in the wings. One leg I smelled fuel and saw a steady drip from the valve. Jiggling it I found upward pressure on it stopped the leak. Fortunately within reach I had both a bungee and some tywraps. Viola! In any case, I really doubt I'd be flexible enough to pull that off now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZAV8OR Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 About malfunctioning ferry tank valves... I think I've posted about this before. Ferrying a Cessna cropduster we had the hopper rigged to carry fuel. Usually put 150 gals up there out of a possible 300. That's plus the 50 in the wings. One leg I smelled fuel and saw a steady drip from the valve. Jiggling it I found upward pressure on it stopped the leak. Fortunately within reach I had both a bungee and some tywraps. Viola! In any case, I really doubt I'd be flexible enough to pull that off now! "That's got it. Now, where did I put that pack of cigarettes..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Posted January 30, 2015 Report Share Posted January 30, 2015 The thing I took away from the ditching video is that the BRS that is your friend when getting you into the water can quickly become your enemy once you're in the water. The airplane was swamped and sank sooner than it would have by the action of the parachute pulling the aircraft through the water in the wind. As someone mentioned above, the outcome of this could have been very different if the wind had been blowing in the other direction and the airplane had been pulled to the left. The wave action could easily have trapped the pilot in the cockpit. When I was Navy aircrew, I was taught not only to cut away before water entry but how to get out of a chute dragging you through the water, also using the "cutaway" technique. However, once a BRS is deployed, there is no way to cut it loose from the aircraft. Once you are in the water, the imperative is to get you, your passenger, and your flotation gear out of the aircraft as quickly as possible and swim away, hopefully upwind if the geometry permits it, and at an angle away from the wind direction if it doesn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Posted January 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2015 Rather amazingly the pilot took a selfie video on the way down - guess he had nothing better to do once the parachute had deployed http://www.international-pilot.com/cirrus-pilot-took-selfie-ditching/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingMonkey Posted January 30, 2015 Report Share Posted January 30, 2015 Rather amazingly the pilot took a selfie video on the way down - guess he had nothing better to do once the parachute had deployed http://www.international-pilot.com/cirrus-pilot-took-selfie-ditching/ Nothing to do on the way down...except contemplate one's mortality. You have to be a pretty calm customer IMO to be thinking "well, parachute deployed...selfie time!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Jefts Posted January 30, 2015 Report Share Posted January 30, 2015 After 22 years of flying for the US Coast Guard and having escorted several planes that ended up in the water, I must say, even with the wind on the chute in the water, that was the safest, most benign water landing I ever saw. I would opt for the chute unless, perhaps, with the CTLS, the wind was blowing 45kts and then I might just slow to 45kts and land into the wind with zero touchdown speed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Posted January 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2015 Interesting thought Duane, but wouldn't a 45 knot wind be producing some pretty large waves? Landing into wind would surely then put you head on to the waves whereas all the ditching advice I've read says that it is advisable to land "along" the swell not "across" it. I must say that whenever I've crossed the Channel or the Irish Sea I've always been mighty glad to coast in and leave the sea behind!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingMonkey Posted January 30, 2015 Report Share Posted January 30, 2015 I don't think I'd really ever want to fly across water out of sight of land. I might do it someday to get to the Bahamas (or now, Cuba!)...but I really will NOT like it. And that's warm tropical water, not that crazy freezing UK water full of pissed off sharks and krakens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Posted January 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2015 The longest sea crossing I've done is from the Berry Head VOR (BHD) on the south coast to Dinard (LFRD) in France which is about 125 nautical miles, though after 70 miles you pass the Channel Islands which give you some hope of gliding to land if the donkey stops! Last time I did it, I was just about halfway across when the alternator warning light started flickering - now that caused a bit of buttock clenching Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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