C421 ditching off Sunshine coast
Marvellous bit of reporting. !
Most "reporting" today appears to be "opinion"
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They have plenty of political and crime reporters who generally get it right, however unless it’s an aviation incident that’s big enough to arouse the interest of Geoff Thomas, they are in the dark.
From that picture it looks like the aircraft has hit bottom in a vertical position with just the tail sticking out. Should not be hard to recover it.
Was the life raft carried on board or dropped to them from the air?
As for that single person raft, the video showed both inflation with the user standing in a steady position, whilst it does not look hard to operate, it probably would have been better to demonstrate operating and getting on board swimming in a wave pool, as that's far more likely a scenario. Any training involved in boarding a raft should involve wave action, it more than doubles the difficulty of use.
Was the life raft carried on board or dropped to them from the air?
As for that single person raft, the video showed both inflation with the user standing in a steady position, whilst it does not look hard to operate, it probably would have been better to demonstrate operating and getting on board swimming in a wave pool, as that's far more likely a scenario. Any training involved in boarding a raft should involve wave action, it more than doubles the difficulty of use.
The ditching of the Cessna brings out several things to remember/check for overwater flying.
If two or more persons then have a buddy line to connect the people together.
That the lifejackets are aviation approved, not a marine type with no light or whistle.
That lifejackets have an annual check/service to make sure they will work when needed.
The same applies to life rafts. Remember the case of a Trans Pacific ferry that came down and the raft had not been
serviced in a long time and the maker had gone out of business some years before.
That a raft has an attachment line secured to the lifejacket people so that it does not drift away as in the ditching mentioned above.
A lifejacket is better if it has a hood to prevent water being splashed into ones face and waves trying to drown you while in the life jacket.
Have a crotch strap to ensure that the life jacket person stays in the jacket and does not slowly slip out of it with time.
In a light single it is a must to have the door or canopy cracked open in the ditching to prevent an issue of not being able to exit the aircraft after splash down due to the hatch/door being jammed or water pressure preventing it being opened. That aspect alone has taken more than one aviator to the bottom.
If going more than gliding distance to at least the shore line then have life jackets available and know how to use them and put them on under pressure. The lower you fly the less time there is to put a life jacket on.
R
If two or more persons then have a buddy line to connect the people together.
That the lifejackets are aviation approved, not a marine type with no light or whistle.
That lifejackets have an annual check/service to make sure they will work when needed.
The same applies to life rafts. Remember the case of a Trans Pacific ferry that came down and the raft had not been
serviced in a long time and the maker had gone out of business some years before.
That a raft has an attachment line secured to the lifejacket people so that it does not drift away as in the ditching mentioned above.
A lifejacket is better if it has a hood to prevent water being splashed into ones face and waves trying to drown you while in the life jacket.
Have a crotch strap to ensure that the life jacket person stays in the jacket and does not slowly slip out of it with time.
In a light single it is a must to have the door or canopy cracked open in the ditching to prevent an issue of not being able to exit the aircraft after splash down due to the hatch/door being jammed or water pressure preventing it being opened. That aspect alone has taken more than one aviator to the bottom.
If going more than gliding distance to at least the shore line then have life jackets available and know how to use them and put them on under pressure. The lower you fly the less time there is to put a life jacket on.
R
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It seemed pretty stable in the water for something afloat. Also i'm not sure much air could be trapped in the tail to keep 2 tons of metal floating.
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If going more than gliding distance to at least the shore line then have life jackets available and know how to use them and put them on under pressure. The lower you fly the less time there is to put a life jacket on
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The Cessna CH-1 Skyhook is the only helicopter ever built by the Cessna Aircraft Company. It was the first helicopter to land on the summit of Pike's Peak and the last piston-engined helicopter to set the helicopter altitude record.
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With a MTOW of 3379kg (wiki), the sea water you have to displace for it to float is only 3.3 cubic metres. That seems possible from all that is already submerged even if the cabin was partly flooded up when crew got out. With a pressurised cabin, if weather stays calm, it might even stay afloat. Did it?
With a MTOW of 3379kg (wiki), the sea water you have to displace for it to float is only 3.3 cubic metres. That seems possible from all that is already submerged even if the cabin was partly flooded up when crew got out. With a pressurised cabin, if weather stays calm, it might even stay afloat. Did it?
It’s Sunday so to lazy to work out weights but 9 hours flight I read somewhere that’s around 1200kg of fuel required give or take.
Been 20 years since I flew the 421 so can’t remember, funnily enough I do have a brand new in plastic C421C POM! If I had it I’d probably look it up to answer my own question above 🤣.
I wonder what the ferry MTOW was, certainly not experienced here but don’t you get an overload MTOW?
And inexperienced pilots still think it’s a great way to build hours…😎