Ditching must be Catching
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2008
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From: Syndey AUSTRALIA
Ditching must be Catching
Ditching on a smaller scale 
Light plane makes emergency landing in Darwin Harbour | The Australian
Rusty
Light plane makes emergency landing in Darwin Harbour | The Australian
Rusty
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 5,982
Likes: 1
From: In the boot of my car!
Interesting that it was a light aircraft with 7 people on board? There are not many that legally carry seven.
Was this a twin piston or turbine single? If a twin wonder why he lost both engines or couldnt maintain altitude on the one.
Regardless a landing well done and in the pics the three walking from the sea looked very relaxed.
Pace
Was this a twin piston or turbine single? If a twin wonder why he lost both engines or couldnt maintain altitude on the one.
Regardless a landing well done and in the pics the three walking from the sea looked very relaxed.
Pace
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 423
Likes: 0
From: London
Interesting that it was a light aircraft with 7 people on board? There are not many that legally carry seven.
brgds
421C
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 204
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From: Behind a CB near you
Hi All
The aircraft in question was a PA31-350 (Piper Chieftain)
According to the news reports (not that you take them as gospel truth)the pilot had engine trouble shortly after t/o out of Darwin.
It would appear that the best option available was to put the aircraft down in the shallows/mud flats.
The PA31 is not a fun aircraft to fly on one engine, especially when you have a load on board. Sometimes you barely maintain altitude let alone climb.
A great job by the pilot involved!!!
NWF
The aircraft in question was a PA31-350 (Piper Chieftain)
According to the news reports (not that you take them as gospel truth)the pilot had engine trouble shortly after t/o out of Darwin.
It would appear that the best option available was to put the aircraft down in the shallows/mud flats.
The PA31 is not a fun aircraft to fly on one engine, especially when you have a load on board. Sometimes you barely maintain altitude let alone climb.
A great job by the pilot involved!!!
NWF
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 5,982
Likes: 1
From: In the boot of my car!
The aircraft in question was a PA31-350 (Piper Chieftain)
Agreed the Navajo/Chiefton do not have the best single engine climb ability.
It is usually better at Grosse to go for an off airport landing than an attempted climb after an engine failure.
In the cruise they should be ok. I only have a few hours on the Navajo/ Chiefton so would be interested in its cruise behaviour engine out at Grosse?
The pilot did a good job of bringing her in to a successful landing and maybe another reason to consider a body of water rather than hard ground objects to land on.
Pace
