Puma ditching Nigeria
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
From: Brunei
The boys done good!
1. Professional well trained crew.
2. Controlled ditching in the sea.
3. 18 pax and crew walk (swim) away with it.
Regardless of the initial cause, the crew did an excellent job and have potentially saves lives - no mean feat. Pilots do normally have a sense of self preservation, the more they invoke this, the fewer lives may be lost. The temptation to persevere those extra few yards or miles to an apparant 'safe haven', has caused more problems than those who have taken the more conservative path.
Well done chaps (chapesses).
Doc
2. Controlled ditching in the sea.
3. 18 pax and crew walk (swim) away with it.
Regardless of the initial cause, the crew did an excellent job and have potentially saves lives - no mean feat. Pilots do normally have a sense of self preservation, the more they invoke this, the fewer lives may be lost. The temptation to persevere those extra few yards or miles to an apparant 'safe haven', has caused more problems than those who have taken the more conservative path.
Well done chaps (chapesses).
Doc
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 26
Likes: 0
From: UK
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 768
Likes: 45
From: Montreal
Great video. What can you guys tell from it - heavy rain, visibility looks poor, expat crew.
No early rumors yet of why it went in? Weather makes me think CFIT, or maybe an engine accidentally shut down when they went to arm the floats, what else.....control problem leading the crew to elect to ditch close, (but not too close), etc?? Passengers look pretty calm, no big rush for the exits.
Nice rescue boat, gear looks complete and well-organized (helmets with visors, lifejackets, etc), arrives pretty quick too. I like that oil company already - is it Chevron?
No early rumors yet of why it went in? Weather makes me think CFIT, or maybe an engine accidentally shut down when they went to arm the floats, what else.....control problem leading the crew to elect to ditch close, (but not too close), etc?? Passengers look pretty calm, no big rush for the exits.
Nice rescue boat, gear looks complete and well-organized (helmets with visors, lifejackets, etc), arrives pretty quick too. I like that oil company already - is it Chevron?
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 670
Likes: 0
From: Beside the seaside
Considering that the very small float arm switch is at the rear of the central console and the very large SSL's and fuel shut off's are in the roof console I can't quite see what you are getting at Malabo.
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 415
Likes: 15
From: Australia
Good Effort!!!! Video & Pics appreciated. Gives some of us who haven't had experience out over water or oil gas industry about what actually happens during an emergency.
Sweet that everyone just walked away, and probably even got some hot showers
Sweet that everyone just walked away, and probably even got some hot showers
Joined: May 2002
Aviation Qualifications: ATP+Mil
Posts: 18,633
Likes: 1,072
From: Downeast
Malabo.....perhaps we might wait a while and see what leaks out. Everyone is guessing this happened during landing, during poor vis, and all sorts of other events. What if it happened after takeoff....what then?
How does one cause a forced landing by arming the floats?
How does one cause a forced landing by arming the floats?
Joined: Jun 2000
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 252
Likes: 5
From: Norwich
What are Nutec teaching these days ???
Hand on your buckle - Locate your nearest emergency exit - Take a deep breath - Whip out your iPhone and rattle off a few minutes of video ????
In future I would recommend this passenger wait until they have at least vacated the aircraft and are safely in the raft, as all passengers (not just the crew) have a responsibility to make sure everyone is evacuated safely.
Still, an interesting video and pretty good quality as well. Weather looks foul. 16,000lbs for OEI IGE hover ?? Sounds a bit low, but I too haven't got any figures to back that up - I'm guessing the temp may have been well above 20'C and with that humidity as well, performance wouldn't have been good.
Well done all on a safe and professional evacuation
Hand on your buckle - Locate your nearest emergency exit - Take a deep breath - Whip out your iPhone and rattle off a few minutes of video ????
In future I would recommend this passenger wait until they have at least vacated the aircraft and are safely in the raft, as all passengers (not just the crew) have a responsibility to make sure everyone is evacuated safely.
Still, an interesting video and pretty good quality as well. Weather looks foul. 16,000lbs for OEI IGE hover ?? Sounds a bit low, but I too haven't got any figures to back that up - I'm guessing the temp may have been well above 20'C and with that humidity as well, performance wouldn't have been good.
Well done all on a safe and professional evacuation
Joined: Oct 1999
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 7,371
Likes: 926
From: Den Haag
Excellent video showing great discipline and restraint by the pax and superb FRC response! It also shows the Captain commanding from the cabin till every one is safely out 
In fact, it's so well done it almost looks like a training exercise - great job John!
In fact, it's so well done it almost looks like a training exercise - great job John!
Last edited by 212man; 14th December 2009 at 17:11.
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 670
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From: Beside the seaside
As I said Special 25 I do not have the graphs so that is just a guess but from memory it is not far off. I was only answering SASless's Q about hover weights anyhow. There was no reason in this instance for the crew to calculate that.
They would have calculated the DSELW though and if their AUW was higher than that then there would have been no option to land on the helideck. That limits options to flying back to the beach on a single engine (if that was the problem) or ditching. Crews decision - unless it was made for them by another problem.
They would have calculated the DSELW though and if their AUW was higher than that then there would have been no option to land on the helideck. That limits options to flying back to the beach on a single engine (if that was the problem) or ditching. Crews decision - unless it was made for them by another problem.
Joined: May 2002
Aviation Qualifications: ATP+Mil
Posts: 18,633
Likes: 1,072
From: Downeast
A single engine approach to an unstable deck would be an interesting choice if hover performance was questionable at the weight the aircraft was at the time. Given a nice flat warm sea with lots of help immediately at hand would be an attractive alternate option.
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 46
Likes: 0
From: Aberdeen, UK
Interesting video. I'm amazed that a passenger would pull out a camera, or phone in that situation.... but interesting to see.
At around 14 secs in, is that a crew member saying "I just couldn't stop it going down."?
If it is, we all know there could be all sorts of reasons for such a statement - weather, engine failure. I guess we'll find out in due course.
Great job, for 'stopping it going down' enough for a safe water landing and text book evacuation.
At around 14 secs in, is that a crew member saying "I just couldn't stop it going down."?
If it is, we all know there could be all sorts of reasons for such a statement - weather, engine failure. I guess we'll find out in due course.
Great job, for 'stopping it going down' enough for a safe water landing and text book evacuation.
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 61
Likes: 0
From: Near the beach
Command and control post ditching
Some other interesting audio from a command and control perspective post ditching:
4.5sec “Wait for my command to get in the life raft… motion has stopped…”
18.5sec “Ok gentlemen, at my command…”
And in the life raft:
34sec “pull…back there… and you can get the roof up”
2:30sec “Away… get away from the helicopter!”
My ear may not have picked this up exactly so please feel free to correct if needed, and if anyone can translate the other parts?
4.5sec “Wait for my command to get in the life raft… motion has stopped…”
18.5sec “Ok gentlemen, at my command…”
And in the life raft:
34sec “pull…back there… and you can get the roof up”
2:30sec “Away… get away from the helicopter!”
My ear may not have picked this up exactly so please feel free to correct if needed, and if anyone can translate the other parts?
