Zalt,
I've no idea what you are talking about?? I was referring to the exchange between Squib and Variable Load regarding the sponson design. The fact that the raft containing structure may well have detached, is not related to the sponsoon design with respect to the fuel tank detachability - it simply reflects the strength of the impact. Like many topics in this thread, it's a red herring as even if they had remained attached they would not have been deployable in this case, as by all accounts it appears the aircraft started sinking quite quickly.
Another red herring is the sea state - SS4 is not one that the average offshore pilot in NE Canada or the North Sea would consider rough. It is actually at the lower end of the range of typical sea states seen day to day, and I do not accept it would be seen as a deterrent. I do accept that the sea temperature might be, but if a controlled ditching is carried out it shouldn't be a deterrent in its own right.
That's not to say that discussion of sea state's is not a valid topic and discussion point. Adverse Weather Policies came into effect in the North Sea following the G-TIGH accident in March 1992, where significant difficulties were encountered in rescuing survivors. It was night, 55+ kt winds and 10m waves! Oh, and snowing. So I agree that sea state limits probably do need applying for routine operations.
One point the TSB note is the possible conditioning of the crew by their simulator training. I think this is an important point and I have personally raised this subject in the past. In fact, at the time of this accident it was not possible to simulate total oil loss or a zero pressure event and I'm surprised that this wasn't mentioned. Even with this simulation added, there are still aural and vibration cues that develop which are precisely the kind of additional symptoms the commander was looking for and so the potential for conditioning still remains.
JimL? Yes, I'm well aware of his background thanks very much for asking. He's also one of my Facebok friends, Skype contacts and in my phone contacts.....
