PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Helitrans (Norway) AS-350 missing off coast of Germany
Old 30th Dec 2012, 02:13
  #154 (permalink)  
mickjoebill
 
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: UK/OZ
Posts: 1,886
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drop the passnegers before ditching?

I once (and never again!) was in the rear seat of a media chopper that crossed a large body of European water, without raft, immersion suits or floats for a 20 min trip in summer.

The pilot discussed the emergency procedure of a controlled ditching where I was to jump out at say 20 feet and he would fly further on and then ditch. A reasonable option given the possibility of becomming tangled in video cables in the cabin. A couple of cameramen have become tangled in cables and kit and unable to make an exit when other occupants survived a ditching.

Maybe we'll never know if this crew didn't exit the cabin until it was inverted deep under water and they were already half drowned. Is the concept of jettisoning a passenger before settling in the water a good idea if there is no raft on board? especially if the cabin has (deriggable) monitors and other contraptions onboard?



Mickjoebill
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