Merged: Pel-Air Westwind Ditching off NLK

[Car RAMROD]

Hear the patient travelled on the scheduled NLK Jet service DCT to MEL.

They must not have had much faith in another Pel WW........

[HTFU]

so do they plan on digging this thing up from the ocean bed

[hongkongfooey]

They must not have had much faith in another Pel WW........

It's not that Ram, I think they might be running out of them

[goldypilot]

Jezz I love PRUNE. keeps me entertained everyday with crap like this.

Look a plane ditched.
Its like the second one i know about this year in AUS.
It will happen again and we will still be talking crap on Prune.
Life never changes.

[dogcharlietree]

Not one of you 'mavericks' were there at the flight planning, takeoff, cruise, descent or approach phases of flight. Furthermore, not one of you were there during the approaches and subsequent missed approaches.

Got it in one Tempo. The PROFESSIONAL aviators would not have been there on the "descent and approach phases of flight. Furthermore, not one of you were there during the approaches and subsequent missed approaches. " Hell no. We would have been on the ground at our alternate REFUELLING.

[Checkboard]

goldy - your post should be more in the line of "Why do I put myself through this, clicking on a link to a discussion about an accident, when I know I will waste some internet space myself complaining that people are actually discussing an accident!"

Westwind aircraft have two storage lockers that are only axcessable[sic] from outside the aircraft. Rafts are never stored here. The raft would have been placed near the door. But with the main door opening on ditching. Chances are it would have moved .I would expect the nose would have sunk quick also. 3 minutes to sink indicates to me that the foward[sic] cabin area would have been under a lot quicker. Add darkness, wave chop.ending up with a lost raft would not be impossible. My guess is they all would have been told to grab there vests. Some may have missed this in the panick.[sic]

Getting your story straight, "truthboy"? Hope you can get the passengers to go along with it ...

Trial by all the 'experts' on PPRuNe. Not one of you 'mavericks' were there at the flight planning, takeoff, cruise, descent or approach phases of flight. Furthermore, not one of you were there during the approaches and subsequent missed approaches. And most importantly, not one of you were there when the two pilots discussed their options and decided on a course of action. Instead, you watch the media hype, make character assessments on him using his cleo photo and then beautifully armchair fly the sector to perfection, passing on what you would have done.

Actually, yes, I am an 'expert', and would be considered so by any court in the land. I am endorsed, with over 1200 hours on this type, have worked for Pel Air in the past, and have been a professional in the industry for over 20 years with 12,000 hours in jet operations around the world, including long over water legs to remote islands (Christmas and Cocos, not Norfolk). Have to say, I haven't commented on the Cleo thing, but I understand it coming up as it isn't a "paparazzi" shot - but something he obviously posed for - so it does have some relevance to his past. I haven't watched the media hype, because I'm not in country at the moment.

Furthermore, not one of you were there during the approaches and subsequent missed approaches.

So, that's investigations sorted then - if you weren't flying the aircraft, you don't know what went on. No need for courts either.
"I'm afraid M'lud, we can't discuss this mugging, as my learned friend the prosecutor wasn't actually involved in beating up the old lady hisself!"

[tio540]

I would expect the nose would have sunk quick also. 3 minutes to sink indicates to me that the foward cabin area would have been under a lot quicker.

This is not a WW1124 but the attitude in the water is important. Without crew they are naturally aft COG.

YouTube - Small Jet over shoots short runway and lands in the water.

[Philthy]

This one?

[Checkboard]

Given the Westwind has mid-mounted wings, and there was a swell running in the ocean, I don't think any valid comparisons can be made.

[John Citizen]

231 replies over 12 pages in less than 3 days. .........we must be going for the record here

A young Cleo bachelor pilot ditches a jet just off the coast off a remote island.

If only the pilot had a Ron Jeremy moustache (hey, it is Movember isn't it ?), a plane load of playboy bunnies in the back and they didn't ever get rescued. Imagine the controversy then.

I am looking forward to the movie soon

[Keg]

Judging by most of the comments on this thread we need to change it from PPRUNE to perhaps APRUNE. I'm not sure if the A stands for 'amateur' or perhaps something anatomically aligned. How quick we are to judge without the facts. How quick we are to slag off journos when the don't get it right (all the time) but how quick we are to latch on to them as pure fact when what they report conforms to our own ignorant picture of the event.

I wasn't there but I'm looking forward to reading the report. Until then the crew get the benefit of the doubt and I'll let the professional investigators do their thing.

I'm with Tempo.

[Iron Bar]

Wonder how the insurance assessor will take it??? Yeah no worries shaggs. Aeroplane with no fuel in tanks at bottom of ocean?? LETS PAY OUT 100% "Med" pax swimming with the sharks. I sense post traumatic stress disorder looming large.

And for once, rightly so.

Cleo dude, you dip me or my mates in the ocean and ruby rose won't save you. Hero bull**** be stuffed. Hope Pel Air has indemnified staff. Big FAT Singapore Target.

[Iron Bar]

The Facts?

APRUNE???

A stands for

Aeroplane . . . .

A deficit of Fuel . . . .

A lucky escape . . . .

An aeroplane on the sea floor . . . .

THE COLD HARD FACTS

[Car RAMROD]

Always liked your photos Philthy, nice work.
Makes the Westwind look good....


Wonder if there are better locations to make a "planned ditching" off NLK... such as near where the boats get launched.

Had this Capt. flown thru NLK before? If not then maybe he wasn't quite aware as just how ****e the weather can be...



Hongkongfooey, they may be running out of Westwinds, but seeing as though both the replacement WW and the scheduled service went to MEL, would be interesting to know if and why the patient actually travelled on the scheduled service instead.....

[Checkboard]

Given the information in the public domain, perhaps the thread title should be changed to:

"Westwind CFIT off NLK"

[silversaab]

Good pic Philthy

VH-NGA....

Not Going Anywhere

[Wally Mk2]

Question for the WW drivers out there. With gear up what's the A/C's lighting like? As in are the ldg lights on the gear legs as they are in a Lear? Would make for a very scary water ldg with little in the way of head lights!
I wonder how this crew are feeling about now. Can't imagine what they feel like after reading well over 200 posts just here never lone what's being said elsewhere. Must be hard on them at the moment all the same. It will be trial by media, always has always will be in this country. Punishing them to the full extent of the law achieves little, only takes out two pilots from this at times precarious industry of ours it's about the education process that follows from the boffins that has any real effect here on such future incidents.And yes they will keep happening as long as man flies we'll all be back here bouncing off the walls once again next time!
As they say................... "to be continued"...........

Wmk2

[Checkboard]

Landing lights are on the tip tanks - see photo!

[Wally Mk2]

"Check" the lights on the tip tanks maybe the same as the Lear, Recognition lights & from that photo I can't quite see if the Ldg lights are on the U/C legs.

Wmk2

[Cypher]

Yes, tip landing lights, with additional landing lights on the gear when it's put down. Would have easily had power as if I remember correctly, the landing lights will revert back off the main battery. Flaps were also electrically powered.

I also wonder about this report of the main door being opened. The Westwind has two outflow valves under the main door on the bottom of the fuselage which are pneumatically closed. These valves aren't like the airliner door type design and you cannot manually close them. You wouldn't need to open the main door to have water come flooding through the front of the aircraft.

Also the main door has inflatable door seal which when deflated was quite easy to see daylight through...