Flying Scuba Diver

[goose boy]

We have all heard the urban myth about the scuba diver who was sucked up by the forest fire fighting helicopter and dumped into rain forrest.

is there anybody out there who can shed some truth on this or has it always been a friend of a friend

[cl12pv2s]

It's a myth!

http://www.snopes.com/horrors/freakish/scuba.htm

More sites will attest to this....simple search using Google will do.

Ha! Just found this for your amusement too!

http://www.firediving.com/

cl12pv2s

[B Sousa]

No.No it was in Europe in a firefighting water sucking Airplane.........

[SASless]

From the first link at snopes....

"The intake of the largest helibucket is a one-foot ring. Although 10,000 gallons of water can be carried in the largest "bambi bucket," it all gets in there through that one-foot opening, an aperture far too minuscule for even a small person to be pulled through, let alone a typical-sized one dressed out in scuba gear. "

Anyone else here load their bucket that way? Ever?

[overpitched]

This myth was put to the test recently on the tv show "The Myth Busters" An amusing episode where they built a replica of Skycrane snorkel using a large outboard motor fitted to a pipe.
On test the flow volume was the same as the Skycrane but it wouldn't suck the dummy out of the pool. Myth busted... as they say

[Arab Goat]

If you watch "Mythbusters" or can down load it from their web site you will see that it cant be done!

Adam Savage (www.adamsavage.com)and Jamie Hyneman (www.m5industries.com) are the hosts.

The setup that Jamie has in San Fran is the best i have ever seen for making production and non production equipment!


Arab Goat. :ok:

[PT6ER]

Wow,

10,000 gallons of water.....even using the smaller US gallon that equates to about 83,450 lbs!! (Could it have read liters??).

Quite some Bambi Bucket!!

The largest load for a Skycrane is 2650 USG which weighs in at about 22114 lbs give or take.

Not overly familiar with the fixed wing types like the CL215T and CL415 but I would still think their tank inlets are pretty small (when trying to extrude a diver through!!).

The Bombardier web site says the 415 can carry 1621 gallons (approx 13500 lbs) so give me a Skycrane any day!!

[goose boy]

When is this myth busters on it sounds like it might be worth watching

[Hilico]

If you've got Sky, Channel 551 or 552. Can't remember the name of the channel (does anyone? - I always go by the numbers.)

[widgeon]

the best one i saw was on bullet causing explosive decompression. They pressurized a 727 and then used ever increasing charges ( from a .38 revolver up to several pounds of plastic explosive ) To show that a passenger would not be sucked from their seat . Those guys have so much fun making the show . Is it just me or is one of them a dead ringer for the drummer of metalica ?

[Arab Goat]

If you like the explosive decompression wait till you see the new episodes that they are filming at the moment. they havnt been released to the net yet they are still in the post production phase. you may also notice that there are one or two Australians behind the scenes :E

Arab Goat (tasty );)

[NickLappos]

The Mythbusters are fun to watch, and pretty good guys, but their application of the scientific method leaves something to be desired. Their tests are perhaps 50% baloney, because they conduct poorly controlled evaluations, and they often miss the points they are questioning. Still fun to watch!

Their show "proved" that bullets won't decompress a jet to the point where someone could be sucked out. Wrong!
http://www.places2ride.com/motorcycle_chopper/item.asp?SKU=713156

NTSB accident report, passenger sucked out of a window when the window was burst by a piece of engine debris. Passenger never found:

http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=85098&key=0

McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10 - Starboard engine disinte-
grated. Pieces struck fuselage, breaking window, and caus-
ing explosive decompression. One passenger sucked out. 1
of 128 killed (Albuquerque, New Mexico, 11/3/73)

My guess is they never thought about the greater volume of air/energy in a jumbo, they used a smaller fuselage in the test.

[goose boy]

does anybody know of any other urban mythes that have always happened to a friend of a friend e.t.c

It would be great to hear some old stories.

[autosync]

what about the guy who got out of a helicopter with the blades still turning and his kid ran over to greet him , and he did what fathers naturally do and lifted the kid up.
Myth?

[Flying Lawyer]

I believe that accident, very sadly, is true.

__________________

As for someone being sucked out of an aircraft:

BAC 1-11 climbing through 17,300feet on departure from Birmingham for Malaga. As the aircraft passed over Oxfordshire, the left windscreen blew out. (It had recently been replaced and an engineer had used the wrong retaining bolts.)
The Captain was sucked halfway out of the windscreen aperture. A steward who happened to be in the flight deck at the time grabbed him. Other stewards rushed to the flight deck and, between them, managed to hold him while the F/O descended and landed at Southampton.


AAIB report: Link (http://www.aaib.gov.uk/cms_resources/dft_avsafety_pdf_502702.pdf)

[PT6ER]

Cant help rising to the bait....it was a mechanic that used the wrong grip length bolts.

Us poor engineers have many other ways to screw up, we dont need credit for other disciplines :p