Lake Eyre aircraft down

[mikewil]

Originally Posted by 43Inches

When we stop making out it's some extra feat of glory to achieve a successful forced landing and not just what is just the bog standard expected outcome from what pilots are trained to do, then perhaps the media and others might stop looking for pictures and news of such events. What news would there be if it was just, "oh another aircraft pulled over into a paddock when it had so.".

I agree with all the “hero” talk being a load of crap, even captain Sullenberger with his A320 on the Hudson shouldn’t be given hero status. I’ve always thought of a hero as someone who risks their own life for others, eg entering a burning house to rescue a person/animal etc. These pilots are not exactly risking their lives to perform these “heroic” acts, they are doing their best to save their passengers (and themselves) from a dire situation that they really have no choice but to give it their best shot.

At the same time, we shouldn’t discount a successful forced landing as something that is just a non-event that every pilot should be able to walk away from. Remember that many of Trev’s pilots are 200 hour newbies and many get their CPL by just fluking a PFL or having their testing officer give them another go after a less than perfect first attempt.

Even if everything goes according plan with setting up for a real forced landing, you don’t know what surprises await until you are on short final and essentially committed to the landing. Things like large rocks, rabbit holes, soft surface that you would dig right into. I think any successful forced landing is an amazing achievement whether in an A320 or C172. A heroic act, I don’t think so.

[megan]

there's no ATSB report on WRA parking in the lake back around 10 years ago either - does anyone know why that happened?

No idea on why ATSB doesn't bother with making some reports, had an engine failure in a fairly new type to be put on the register, a report was apparently put together, but not released to the industry, upon the second failure the operator had a report was released, three more failures were to follow, to my knowledge only one of those three had a report released.

[Checkboard]

I agree with all the “hero” talk being a load of crap

I think you have a child's view of the word "hero". You think it's only a term reserved for knights in shining armour and everyone else is nothing.

For me, a mother who works two jobs to raise her kids is a hero. A couple who foster a dozen orphans in their home are heros. A researcher who open sources their life-saving research to make sure the results are cheaply available to the world is a hero.

... and yes, a pilot who performs a technically difficult task with laser focus while under extreme stress of death or injury and does so successfully is a hero in my book.

[tossbag]

Even if everything goes according plan with setting up for a real forced landing, you don’t know what surprises await until you are on short final and essentially committed to the landing.

A mate of mine had an engine failure, picked a paddock and when on final, then saw all the rocks. I was in company with him when it happened, you couldn't see any of the obstacles from 1000ft. He did his best to avoid them but hit a few rocks and flipped it. When the cops finally turned up, one of them said 'why didn't you steer around the rocks?' I don't think I'd ever heard my mate swear before but he replied 'I'd like to see you do any f@cking better' Very funny, you had to be there.

... and yes, a pilot who performs a technically difficult task with l@ser focus while under extreme stress of death or injury and does so successfully is a hero in my book.

Gotta agree with Checkers, what Sully, Styles and the cabin crew did was nothing short of a...........miracle, to have everyone survive that was spectacular. The most impressive part was their behaviour after the event.