Lister,
Water landings, or ditchings, are done differently depending on the conditions. If you're approaching glassy water, a stable descent until water contact is necessary, and one should never attempt to flare. This is a time when minimum sink airpeed (not best glide) should be maintained until the aircraft hits the water.
You don't want to land into the back of a swell (upwind side), parallel to the crest. Timing against a swell is difficult, so where possible, land parallel to the swells. If you're drifting sideways with the wind, not so big a deal...you're not worried about landing while drifting this time, because the water is also moving.
If you can, and wave heights are very small, landing into the wind reduces your forward velocity. However, if you hit at the wrong time, you also face greater penalties.
Water landings mean you quite possibly won't remain upright. You may begin to sink soon after impact. You may not be able to see well, and you need to know your cockpit by feel, rightside up or upside down. You can use your seat belts and shoulder harness to stay oriented by following them back to their anchor point, but keep everything tight and in place until the aircraft comes to a rest.
If the airplane begins to sink you may not be able to open a door until the presure has equalized; this means flooding the cockpit to get the doors open. If the doors are left closed during landing, you may not be able to open them after impact; a little twisting of the airframe may jam them fast. You should refer to the manufacturers ditching instructions, but you're usually best opening doors and wedging something in them to keep them opened.
Deceleration and stopping will be considerably more firm and uncomfortable than a land landing. Keep your belts tight. If you have time, secure any loose items or if you have no further need, jettison them. If you're overflyin water, hopefully you've taken the precaution of bringing flotation gear. Put it on, don't inflate it because it will make your exit from the aircraft very difficult or impossible.
If you think a lifevest is too expensive and you have elected not to carry them, now might be a good time to invest at a minimum in something, even if it's a kiddie duck ring or something like that...you'll be grateful for anything you can get when you're in the water. (rapid inflation devices are available for bicycle tires using Co2 cartridges...these don't take up much room in a flight bag and can be used to quickly fill up small rafts, or other flotation gear...anything is better than nothing).
This becomes a very important time for you to have filed a flight plan and be communicating with someone. You won't last long in most bodies of water. Hypothermia can set in quickly. You'll fatigue quickly. You'll often cramp quickly. If you've never tried treading water in your clothes, give it a shot. I used to go to the pool every day and tread water in my clothes or flight gear for 45 minutes to an hour. It's not as easy as you think. You don't want to be out there any longer than you need be.
Keep a watch out for boat traffic. Get as close as you can...that may be your lifeline.
Some recommend getting your shoes off. You're going to want them off once you're clear, but I'd recommend keeping them on until you're clear; they'll protect your feet, and you may be dealing with twisted metal.
Be careful about holding the airplane off or trying to stall it in. I don't know how many times I've heard pilots say that's what they'd do...but I've never heard it from someone who's had any experience doing water landings. If you have some water training and you can judge the height above the waves that's one thing...after all, one lands floats. But if you haven't done it, now's not the time to start learning. It's too easy above the water to misjudge your height, and your vertical speed is far more dangerous than your forward speed. Trying to bleed off extra speed or stall it in is risky; Get it down, get it landed. But don't try to stave off landing at the expense of losing airspeed or control; keep it under control all the way to touchdown.
Something about water that you don't get on land...you can see the airflow over the water. Gusts are visible, and you can use that to your advantage. Gusts and wind show up as disturbances on the surface of the water, and they help form the swells and waves you see, too. Sometimes foam wind streaks will be visible showing the direction of the wind.
With small waves or ripples, land into the wind, but where there's any doubt, land with the swells, on the face of the swell, on the upwind side. Get the doors open, get out, don't take with you anything that's not worth your life. If you've got flotation gear, get it it clear if you can, but getting you and your occupants clear is the big thing. The rest can sink and be replaced later.
Something you can carry that may save your life in the water is a large trash bag. A very large bag, one you can get into if you draw your legs up, can be pulled around your shoulders. Your body heat will warm the water in the bag and it will help insulate you. In an absolute emergency (which you can safely conclude a water landing IS), a garbage bag can provide some temporary flotation by tying off the open end. Go with the heavy duty ones...it goes without saying.
Last edited by SNS3Guppy; 20th Oct 2008 at 13:53.