This is all very well and good, but Surveying is a Dangeous Game, we all accept that, and live with it. Ag planes only have one engine, some piston. They fly in some far more inhospitable country than we do, especially in the mountainous areas.
I go out there in the morning knowing that I have plane with an engine on it that runs well, and has had all the money spent on it that it needs to keep it running as best as can humanly be done. As UTW's pilot found, sometimes thats not enough, but you live with it. He survived, others dont, thats just the way the cookie crumbles im afraid. I imagine they wouldnt pay us 90 grand a year to fly a 210/206 if it was perfectly safe and easy as pie. As far as the water thing goes, I would far rather fly out at sea (with a lifejacket on and a liferaft on board of course) than fly over 50 foot tall trees and in mountains with few escape routes.
