On 22 July last year the pilot of a Cessna CitationJet was forced to ditch his aircraft just off the coast of Washington state, USA because he had lost control of the pitch trim. Having ditched at 100kt (185km/h), he and his passengers escaped via the main door, and the aircraft took 10min to sink. They all survived.
This accident shows that ditching is today survivable, and the example is used as a taster for a comprehensive briefing on ditching presented on a Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) instructional compact disc entitled Waterproof flight operations, which was created with the corporate and business flying community specifically in mind.
The FSF decided to carry out the research for the CD following requests from business aviation operators. These operators were considering flights across oceanic areas and wanted information about whether preparation, training and the right equipment could increase crew and passenger chances of surviving a ditching. Even in the industry, most people still seem to think ditching is not survivable, and preparation for it is a triumph of hope over experience.
The FSF's head of publications, Roger Rozelle, led the task and admits that although he is a pilot, and a former master mariner, he did not know how much information was available, and found the project expanded dramatically as his team worked on it. But, he says, they found that ditching can be survivable, and that appropriate preparation for this remote but real possibility is not time wasted.
The comprehensive recommendations include key advice:
the crew should be trainedin hands-on operation of the emergency equipment; a fully trained flight attendant should be carried on transoceanic flights because he or she can dramatically improve the chances of passenger survival in a ditching; operators should consider what equipment they might carry above the minimum legal requirement, and the CD lists desirable equipment as well as providing the regulatory minimal as stated by the International Civil Aviation Organisation, the US Federal Aviation Administration, the European Joint Aviation Authorities and several other major aviation authorities. Basic requirements for any flight of more than 120min from land include not just lifejackets but liferafts, even for relatively small aircraft. it is advisable to know where rescue could come from and how to contact assistance. For example, in mid-ocean, ditching near a ship whose crew has been contacted on the international maritime distress frequency would clearly help.Source: Flight International
