Beech down

[Life's a Beech]

Any news on the Baron down on the way to Jersey? All in hospital safe I think. Shame to lose the aircraft though. Hope they are not badly hurt, and recover swiftly. I assume was a private flight, not many Barons on AOCs.

Safe flying all.

[airborne_artist]

Not as good news as you hoped, sadly. BBCi are now (1523 today) reporting two fatalities and one survivor in hospital.

[IO540]

From the BBC report it sounds like they had no raft and two of them died of hypothermia.

[airborne_artist]

Channel water temp is just under 10 C today (link), which gives a survival time of less than one hour without suits or rafts.

[Fuji Abound]

So sorry to hear of this news.

From sailing and flying around the CIs it is a desolate sea in the middle of winter. I can only imagine how terrifying it must be to be in it.

[arem]

Sky reporting it was enroute Coventry-Guernsey

[englishal]

From the BBC report it sounds like they had no raft and two of them died of hypothermia.

What a waste. Then again you would not expect a twin to ditch I suppose unless both engines failed (fuel?)....

[fisbangwollop]

Aircraft ditches off Alderney

Just watched Channel TV. reports of a twin enroute from Coventry to Alderney ditching between Cherbourg and Alderney. French rescue service's rescued one and recovered two bodies. Very sad to all concerned, appears to have had double engine failure whilst talkin to Jersey ATC....!!

[Captain N]

any info on what this a/c is? and if its from the flight schools at cov?

[Blues&twos]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/eur...ey/7205000.stm

[Widger]

OMG, just heard about in on the news. My condolences to the families, we were probably one of the last units to speak to them. The sea is about 9 degrees at the moment which reduces survival times considerably without suits.

Well done to the French SAR for getting at least one out alive.

RIP

[Pomypilot]

Beechcraft, both engines lost I believe. Very sad day again for aviation.

[fisbangwollop]

I understand an Auriginy aircraft followed the aircraft down then marked the position till the rescue service's arrived on scene.

[eldridge]

eldridge

My condolences to fellow flyers family, just to let friends know that it was not me as I often fly a baron from covenrty to alderney.

[Contacttower]

Very sad news indeed. As a light twin driver I'm very interested to know what brought down a solid aircraft like the Baron 58.

[strake]

If I recall the Apache light twin I flew a many years ago, single engine failure just gave you a bit more time to think about where you were going to stuff it down. However, all the bu******g about with feathering, trimming not to mention making sure you had the correct engine stopped just increased the sweatability rating.

Sad news....

[fisbangwollop]

I started a thread earlier on "Rumour and news" after watching film of the recovery on Channel TV. Surviver was in a life-raft, aircraft was working Jersey ATC at the time, they seem to have vectored an Auriginy aircraft to follow the aircraft down then circled overhead till the French rescue service's arrived. the survivor was suffering mild hypothermia, sadly 2 fatal.

[sternone]

May they RIP.. better put a raft in the plane, even if you have a twin..because they all got out of the plane assumably well ?

[ShyTorque]

Two double engine failures in a week. Very unusual indeed and very tragic in this case.

[smarthawke]

Good to see the French pulled out all the stops to help. On the BBC video report it does show someone in a dinghy next to an inflatable so perhaps they did have a raft?