Pilot crash-lands, swims in croc-infested river
Thread Starter
Pilot crash-lands, swims in croc-infested river
From the ABC:
It was 1997 that I last saw it but that was a nice C185 if I remember correctly? 
Pilot crash-lands, swims in croc-infested river
By Bridget Brennan
Updated 1 hour 26 minutes ago
Marlee Ranacher
Marlee Ranacher survived after crash-landing a light plane next to the Victoria River in the NT. (Bullo River Station)
* Map: Darwin 0800
A pilot has been rescued by her husband in a helicopter after she crash-landed her plane and had to swim through a crocodile-infested river in the Northern Territory.
Marlee Ranacher, 49, took-off in a single-engine Cessna from the Bullo River Station, about 800 kilometres south-west of Darwin, when the engine failed about 7.30am.
She made an emergency landing on a mud flat near the edge of the Victoria River.
She walked about one kilometre up the bank but due to the incoming tide she was forced to swim across the river, a known habitat for saltwater crocodiles.
"That was the worst part, swimming across," she told the ABC.
"I've lived here my whole life and I know how many crocodiles there are down here and how big they are so that was really bad because I had time to think about that.
"There was one very small one, I must admit, when I got to the bank.
"He was only about a foot long though, so I didn't mind him."
She then set off an emergency beacon, which was picked up by authorities who notified her helicopter pilot husband.
He flew to her location and found her safe and well on the banks of the river.
"I'm really sad I lost the plane but I'm glad I am alive," she said.
She said the Cessna was fully submerged by the incoming tide.
"We've got eight metre tides down here on the Vic, they're just huge and the tide changes so violently it causes like a wall of water.
"You could surf it, it's like having a big wave coming up the river.
"Within half an hour of the tide turning I couldn't see the plane anymore."
Brevet Sergeant Michael Lunney said: "This could have ended tragically but due to her fast thinking, flying experience and activation of her beacon, not only was she rescued swiftly, but by her husband no less."
By Bridget Brennan
Updated 1 hour 26 minutes ago
Marlee Ranacher
Marlee Ranacher survived after crash-landing a light plane next to the Victoria River in the NT. (Bullo River Station)
* Map: Darwin 0800
A pilot has been rescued by her husband in a helicopter after she crash-landed her plane and had to swim through a crocodile-infested river in the Northern Territory.
Marlee Ranacher, 49, took-off in a single-engine Cessna from the Bullo River Station, about 800 kilometres south-west of Darwin, when the engine failed about 7.30am.
She made an emergency landing on a mud flat near the edge of the Victoria River.
She walked about one kilometre up the bank but due to the incoming tide she was forced to swim across the river, a known habitat for saltwater crocodiles.
"That was the worst part, swimming across," she told the ABC.
"I've lived here my whole life and I know how many crocodiles there are down here and how big they are so that was really bad because I had time to think about that.
"There was one very small one, I must admit, when I got to the bank.
"He was only about a foot long though, so I didn't mind him."
She then set off an emergency beacon, which was picked up by authorities who notified her helicopter pilot husband.
He flew to her location and found her safe and well on the banks of the river.
"I'm really sad I lost the plane but I'm glad I am alive," she said.
She said the Cessna was fully submerged by the incoming tide.
"We've got eight metre tides down here on the Vic, they're just huge and the tide changes so violently it causes like a wall of water.
"You could surf it, it's like having a big wave coming up the river.
"Within half an hour of the tide turning I couldn't see the plane anymore."
Brevet Sergeant Michael Lunney said: "This could have ended tragically but due to her fast thinking, flying experience and activation of her beacon, not only was she rescued swiftly, but by her husband no less."
Was her name spelt Sara?
It was 1997 that I last saw it but that was a nice C185 if I remember correctly?
DF.
The station aeroplane they had 6 months ago was a C210, and a nice one too.
Thread Starter
I remember BEV in a feature article in the Crash comic many years ago - the article ended "I wonder where old BEV is now?" 
Was her name spelt Sara?
But when you marry a Sarah, and work with three Sarahs daily, you get quite familiar and habitual with the extra "h"...
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: in the classroom of life
Age: 55
Posts: 6,864
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
Back to the keyboards, pump out a new book ...... Might buy a new plane!
No matter what side of the family politics you believe ..... They are an amazing lot!
No matter what side of the family politics you believe ..... They are an amazing lot!
I flew a 210 'BEV' in the early seventies out of Moorabbin, I think by memory it belonged to Jim King of Kings Parking fame. Is this the same one as it is nearly 40 years ago? It was tan and white and went like a rocket.
I would say yes, it's the same one. The CASA register shows it as having been first registered in 1973, & the present owners have had it since 2008.
DF.
DF.
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Wingham NSW Australia
Age: 83
Posts: 1,343
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Emergency Landings
I Spy. Seeing as the aircraft, which it seems was a C210, was landed on a mud flat which soon became flooded by the changing tide it is probable that it made a "wheels up" landing to minimize the chances of nosing over and finishing up inverted. That, I would suggest, was both a Forced Landing and a Crash Landing. Either way, your comment was unwarranted. The author of the story reprinted used the heading Pilot crash lands, swims in croc infested river. Within the body of the story she reports that the aircraft made an emergency landing, which indeed the pilot did do following an engine failure.
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 313
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I remember BEV in a feature article in the Crash comic many years ago - the article ended "I wonder where old BEV is now?" 
http://srfc.org.au/web/content/view/55/99/
"Canberra this is Cessna Bravo Echo Victor, VFR to the south of Bathurst seven POB. Passing through seven thousand VFR in solid cloud. Request assistance".
"Bravo Echo Victor, say again VFR in cloud?"
"
I Spy. Seeing as the aircraft, which it seems was a C210, was landed on a mud flat which soon became flooded by the changing tide it is probable that it made a "wheels up" landing to minimize the chances of nosing over and finishing up inverted. That, I would suggest, was both a Forced Landing and a Crash Landing. Either way, your comment was unwarranted. The author of the story reprinted used the heading Pilot crash lands, swims in croc infested river. Within the body of the story she reports that the aircraft made an emergency landing, which indeed the pilot did do following an engine failure."
I was just alluding to the ever-present media beat-up about "Crash landings". Putting a plane down in a paddock after an engine failure, with no damage to plane or pax is invariably referred to as a "Crash landing".
The article does mention an emergency landing, so why didn't the headline read as such? Because it doesn't sell.
I Spy. Seeing as the aircraft, which it seems was a C210, was landed on a mud flat which soon became flooded by the changing tide it is probable that it made a "wheels up" landing to minimize the chances of nosing over and finishing up inverted. That, I would suggest, was both a Forced Landing and a Crash Landing. Either way, your comment was unwarranted. The author of the story reprinted used the heading Pilot crash lands, swims in croc infested river. Within the body of the story she reports that the aircraft made an emergency landing, which indeed the pilot did do following an engine failure."
I was just alluding to the ever-present media beat-up about "Crash landings". Putting a plane down in a paddock after an engine failure, with no damage to plane or pax is invariably referred to as a "Crash landing".
The article does mention an emergency landing, so why didn't the headline read as such? Because it doesn't sell.
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: australia
Age: 70
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
VH BEV
it,s been a long time since I have looked into pprune. Even longer since I was last involved with this cessna 210L. My Father imported this aircraft in 1973 for a friend of his whose wife was named Beverly.
