Ditching Simon Stuart Squadron 80 San Jose, CA. Ditching Presentation Overview Types of Incidents &...
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Transcript of Ditching Simon Stuart Squadron 80 San Jose, CA. Ditching Presentation Overview Types of Incidents &...
Ditching
Simon StuartSquadron 80San Jose, CA
Ditching
Presentation Overview
Types of Incidents & Survivability
Decisions: Water vs. Trees
Ditching Examples
Aircraft Configuration & Airmanship
Managing Passengers
Egress & Survival
Equipment
FAA & CAP Requirements
Ditching
A Ditch or a Crash?
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Water Crash “…usually involves a spiraling
aircraft, extremely high speeds and thus, little to no control on behalf of the pilot.”
Negligible survival rate
Generally catastrophic event
Example: JFK Jr.
Ditching “The intentional and controlled
water landing of an aircraft”
High survival rate
Aircraft may remain intact / afloat
Example: US Airways 1549
Ditching
Ditching vs. Water Crash
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Successful Ditchings: US Airways 1549 http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2009-01-20-USAirwaysFlight1549.jpg, Pan Am 963 http://www.peakdefinition.com/imagesBlog/panam/panam04.jpg & most in small aircraft.
Semi-Successful: Bellanca Viking (Wood - they float) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JsSbGdIDzE
Unsuccessful Ditching: Ethiopian 961 – Hijacking http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKC9C0HCNH8
Water Crash: Three Rivers Regatta – Structural Failure http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JL9XIuQ2r98
Ditching
Statistics
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12-15 Incidents Per Year (Down from 30 in the 80’s)
88 Percent are not out in the ‘Blue Water’ ocean
9 out of 10 are NOT fatal
AOPA: NTSB 1983-99. 142 events. 20 fatal (14% - Most in open water)
Equipped.com: NTSB 1985-1990, 1994 & 1996. 179 events. 22 fatal (12%)
Egress rate 92%. Excluding long ferry flights - 95%.
You can make your chances of survival close to 100%.
Ditching
Reality: Occupants Often “Walk Away”
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Ditching
Myths
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“Low wing is better”
“Airplanes nose over and sink”
“Gear up will save you”
“High wings flip over”
“You won’t get out before the plane sinks”
“A successful ditching requires great skill”
The numbers do not support many of these theories. Proper technique is more important.
Generally aircraft come to rest nose low. Eventually they will sink. But there are few examples of “Submarines”.
Gear position may affect deceleration, but not egress.
Ditching accidents cover pilots of widely ranging abilities.
Ditching
Choices
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Open Water? Easy. You’re swimming.
(Lake Michigan)
Ditching
Choices
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How about now? Can you make an landing point?
(Lake Tahoe)
Ditching
Range: Know Thy Airplane
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Example: Cessna 182 G1000. Best glide 73kts @ 2600lb. Adjust for weight.
Ditching procedures* (POH section 3-9)
Power on: 20° to full flaps, 300fpm descent @ 65kts
Dead stick: 70kts flaps up / 65kts flaps down
Touchdown: Level attitude at established rate of descent
Glide range. 1.4nm for every 1000’ AGL*Procedures will vary from plane to plane
Ditching
Water or Trees?
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Fatality rate with trees in the touchdown area is similar to ditching.
Landing with trees in the touchdown area: Fatal 6%, Serious injury 35%, minor injury 65%.
Injuries with a forced landing and trees more likely.
Ditching is more likely to require survival equipment.
Without it, a successful ditch may turn fatal.
Where you ditch, i.e. close to shore, is important.
Better chance of emergency personnel in forced landings.
Forget the plane – It will be a write off in either case.
Ditching
Offshore Flights
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Bigger risks than onshore ditchings
Swells, wind, waves
Colder water
Being found is the biggest concern.
Ditching
Where is the person?
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Ditching
Offshore Ditching Events
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Pacific Ocean. Ferry flight. New Piper Archer http://www.equipped.org/1199ditch.htm
Fully prepared. Survival suits. Third career ditching by pilot. Survived even after losing life raft (Second time)
July 23, 2010. N82531, Cessna 206 crossing Lake Michigan http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N82531/history/20100723/1210ZZ/KAMN/KRST
Medical flight. Engine failure. Ditched 5 miles from Ludington
Pilot and 2 others able to don PFDs. Pilot picked up by boaters 2 hours later in light conditions. All four others drowned
It is not the ditching itself, but the post ditching situation where the dangers are the greatest.
Ditching
Offshore Flights: Risk Assessment
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Crossing Lake Michigan as night falls
Ditching
Ditching Preparation: Checklist?
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Ditching is not a normal emergency
Most aircraft POH’s do not have a ditching checklist
If you plan to fly over water, make your own
Ditching
Ditching Preparation: Steps
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Call ATC immediately
Avoid landing downwind
Seat belts as tight as you can stand. Stow loose objects
Headsets & cables out of the way (Tangling / egress)
Full flaps (High wing), None or partial (Low wing)
Gear up / down decision, Fuel off etc.
Doors / windows open
Pillows / jackets for face. Brace position
Airspeed and sink rate critical to avoid trauma
Ditching
Managing Passengers
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Do this before, on the ground (Better than in the water)
Exits, seatbelts etc. Demonstrate opening the door
Have them VISUALLY look at their seatbelt mechanism
Decide on an exit strategy. Who goes first? Which door?
Children? You may wish to change your route of flight
Emphasize that the plane will not sink and passengers will have time to exit
Special considerations: High wing – Watch out for flaps on egress. Cessna 206. Flaps block rear door
Important for sightseeing trips like the SF Bay Tour
Ditching
Brace Positions
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4 & 5 Point Harnesses 3 Point Harness
Ditching
Brace Positions
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2 Point Harness
Ditching
Pilots: Energy Management
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Minimize the energy the aircraft has to dissipate.
Choose best glide for distance
Choose minimum sink to buy time
Full nose up trim – Don’t fight the airplane
The objective is minimum groundspeed AND vertical rate of descent. This is challenging.
Generally land nose raised but do not stall. Can lead to dumping and nosing in heavily.
Ditching
Wind & Waves
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Calm: Into the wind
Swells & low wind: Parallel to the swells, on top if possible
High wind: Into wind, down the back of swells if possible
Avoid the face of a swell
Again, fly to minimize the energy to dissipate
Ditching
Approach
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Ditching
Impact
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Ditching
Coming to Rest
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Ditching
At Rest
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Ditching
Egress
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Don’t panic
Everyone will get out
Typically a matter of 10-20 seconds for all to exit
Open the door. Allow the cockpit to fill
Cold water: Breath normally (In as much as you can)
High wings: Watch your head
Ditching
Unexpected Events
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pucmWr55cgw
Be Prepared
Ditching
Injuries: Ditching vs. Forced Landing
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Forced Landing (On Land): Trauma, Post-Impact Fire
Ditching: Trauma, Drowning & Hypothermia
Post Ditching Risks:
No PFD (Life jacket): Drowning through incapacitation due to cold water. “Functional disability”.
With PFD: Hypothermia. Death directly as a result of hypothermia takes a lot longer than through functional disability.
Ditching
Survival Factors: PFD & Water Temperature
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How long can a person who ditches off Santa Cruz, CA, survive in the water with a life jacket and light clothing in GOOD conditions:
In September?
In April?
5 Hours (59 degrees)
3.5 Hours (54 degrees)
No PFD, treading water?
In September?
In April?
< 4 Hours
2.5 Hours
Incapacitation begins MUCH sooner, 15-30 minutes
Ditching
Survival Factors: PFD & Water Temperature
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Santa Cruz, 59 vs. 54 degrees, PFD vs. treading water
Ditching
Survival Factors: Body Fat
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Ditching
Survival Factors: Heat Loss
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Heat loss is EVERYTHING
Staying still decreases heat loss by 30%
Huddle / human chain / carpet doubles survival time
Requires PFD
A PFD can double survival time
Do NOT swim. In 50 degree water, the average person with a PFD and light clothing can only cover 0.85 miles before becoming incapacitated by hypothermia.
Ditching
Human Chain / Human Carpet
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Ditching
Survival Factors: Clothing – USCG Test
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10 CG Members. Same age, weight, height, skinfold thickness, body fat and VO2 (Max)
Different test garments, ranging from flight suit, to coveralls, wet suits, immersion suits and dry suit
50 degree water, calm (dockside) vs. rough seas
Body cooling rate per hour in a flight suit:
Calm water: 3.2 degrees
Rough: 3.7 degrees
Rough water, 43 degress: 5.8 degrees
Flight suits are poor insulators
Ditching
Regulations: Required Equipment
FAA Part 91.509 & 91.511: No more than 50 miles offshore without a life preserver for everyone. No more than 30 minutes over water (Interesting - Consider flying down the coast…) or 100
miles without: Life preservers Life raft & survival kit Pyrotechnic signaling device Waterproof emergence signaling device Lifeline Two radios
CAP Limited to less than 50 miles offshore If not within power off gliding distance of land:
All occupants must wear floatation device The aircraft equipped with a life raft & pyrotechnic signaling device All occupants must wear anti-exposure suits for below 60 degree water (May be waived
by wing commanded on a mission by mission basis) If at night over water, both front seat occupants must be MP rated & instrument current
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Ditching
Additional Insight
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“Equipped To Survive”: http://www.equipped.org/ (Material in this presentation reproduced with permission from Doug Ritter)
Abandon Ship Bag: http://www.equipped.org/abndonship.htm
FAA Lake / Island Reporting Service. Excellent ATC resource
USCG Water Survival PDF (Available online)
AIM Section 6-3-3
Ditching
End of Presentation
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