THE HARD STATS
I have a copy of CAA stats listing all water ditchings for UK reg helis (twin and single) for the last 15 years.
Total number : 9, no fatalities no major injuries
TWIN TURBINE: 4 total, mainly North Sea. 2 engine failures (incl one that lost both engines), 1 transmission, 1 lightning strike.
SINGLE TURBINE : 2 total. 1 Engine failure, 1 transmission
SINGLE PISTON : 3 total. 1 loss of control (but still managed a safe ditch), 1 transmission, 1 undetermined but loss of power.
Floats were deployed for all twins - in one case the speed of landing on the water ripped off the floats.
Singles did not deploy floats.
And the results in all cases were exactly the same.
Now compare these miniscule stats with fixed wing single ditchings..........single helis are being unfairly "singled out".
There is nothing in that stats to prove that floats save lives. I would post the CAA report here - but I'm not certain about copyright. I will email the report to Heliport and he can decide what to do.