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Water Landings


airhound

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Calling on the Forum to surmise how a smooth surface water landing might transpire in a CT? If only choice is going in the Drink, are there any unique procedures to follow. Is soft field landing technique the primary consideration? Also, what is the probability of landing gears digging in and flipping over? Lastly, given the materials it is made of, what kind of boyancy could one expect without a bean bag stuffed in the rear? All just food for thought.

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I have now doubt in my mind that the CT will float for a least a short time. It just has too much foam and hollow pockets. Land 40 flaps approach at 50 stall the hell out of it just above the water at 40 or less. Nose in the air at a full blown nose high stall and mains first. I feel it won't be that big event. Doors are manual and not like a car so opening shouldn't be an issue. The proper procedure is to tighten belts full down on lap and chest, head back against the head rest arms folded across your chest. Obviously the pilot has to fly it down so the hands across the chest isn't going to be in his setup. Even planes that are much , much heavier float. Watch Jaws the Revenge and some guy actually does a real water landing with both props spinning, gear up. Pretty much a non event so long as you don't torpedo the nose in or strike a wave broadside. Parachute over water for me isn't a good option so long as the plane is controllable. If there is a shore line then land it a few feet off the shore. This shouldn't be a panic event just a wet embarrassing one.

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On my trip across the Gulf of MX I spent some time pondering a water landing. Since there would be no shore line (would have been nice RL) I envisioned a full stall (40 deg flaps) landing with doors unlatched, pretty nose high attitude, with no chute. I belive the CT would float, partially submurged, for some time. I would then press "911" several times on the SPOT. But it never happened so we made an uneventful landing in Merida, MX!

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Here's my guess:

1. Mags off (assuming you still had the engine running)

2. Secure everything and strap in tightly.

3. Doors open (or at least the window vents). You want to equalize pressure asap.

4. Life vests on (if equiped, and you should be if a water landing is a possibility).

5. Full into the wind. Full flaps.

6. Get as low as possible (e.g. 0.5 m)

7. Maintain (lack of) altitude and stall the !*&%$ out of it, nose really high.

 

Hopefully, the lack of height and speed should make it as non-leathal as possible. And I forgot, assuming you have the time, some Mayday calls, SPOT, PLB and the like. You want to be found. If you have a passenger, (s)he could cut main electrical power just as you go to full stall. Probably not too important, but a lack of uncontrolled electricity in rather nice in wet situations.

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Right! Spot and PLB, hold em high and keep em dry! I hear if one were to aim it just right whilst floating it will drive off Tiberon, kinda like Spock with his Phaser on Stun. Anyway, makes one wonder if our shinny new aircraft 406 ELTs would be of any help! I'd want to push the button at altitude anyway and maybe get a little something out of that expensive (waterproof?) box before I submerged the bottom mounted antenna. Why is it located there and not the top somewhere?

 

Will the bottom antenna location be affected in a gear collapsing rough field landing? Just seems like the top is a better location. I'm sure theres a sound technical reason such as distance to comm antenna and hopefully not one based on cosmetics. OR, maybe they figured we'd end up on our backs most of the time anyway, What do think? <_<

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Ranger6,

I don't know. Since the 406 works off the satellites, I would think a top mounted antenna would be preferable in any flight mode you want to be in.

As for gear collapse, is the ‘standard’ collapse total with the aircraft body on the ground? Or do various little bits of landing gear remain that could provide enough ground clearance for the antenna? In a water landing, I would worry the water might smash it off its mounting or cause other damage.

I agree and would turn on any/all locator devices as soon as I made to decision to ditch. That gives you probably a minute or two of transmission time before you have to worry about whether they are still waterproof after the crash (sorry, “forced landing”). Also, the higher you are when you activate them, the fewer obstacles you have in the signal path.

While it’s fun to think about, I am still not keen on having to ever put it to the test.

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Fun or not, we agree, WHAT IFs should be going on all the time in and around airplanes, not just during the BFR. Is it the water, the trees, or the shore line: BRS or Landing? I'm thinking if you can land, land, and if out of control with pieces flying off, then BRS.

 

Another What IF with no options. One of the reasons I went with a CT was having two independent doors, kind of guarded by the wings, for emergency egress if flipped over.

I really like some of the low wingers but imagine serious difficulty trying to get out of one upside down lying on top of the canopy, without immediate assistance.

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  • 2 months later...

I suggest to take some water egress training if you fly regularly above water. I took it and it gives you more confidence. Disorientation is frequent once under water and there is a procedure to keep track of where you are. For example you keep one hand on the left side of your seat or your door lever. So whatever your position in the water you will know where the exit is.

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  • 2 months later...

Interesting thread - having now committed to becoming a CTLS owner (woooo hoooo!!) and living in the UK which means crossing open sea to get to France or Ireland (two places that are great to fly) then the issues of single engine over water are real and do require thinking about.

 

This article http://www.pilotfriend.com/safe/safety/ditching.htm is very comprehensive - certainly the advice on "into wind" or "along the swell" is worth remembering.

 

My question to everyone - why not just pull the parachute - being deposited vertically at a reasonable rate of descent would seem to me to be possibly the safest way out?

 

Cheers

Ian

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  • 3 months later...

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