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10-10-2009, 02:37 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Tampa, FL
Posts: 406
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Divine intervention OR Trust your gut OR Always prepare for the worst
It's been one **** of a night. Long story short, my uncle lost power in his Mooney last night at 9:30pm and went down in the Bay of Florida (between the FL Keys and the mainland) with my cousin and her husband on board. He had picked them up in Tampa and was taking them down to Marathon (where my aunt and uncle live) for my aunt's big 50 birthday celebration that was planned for this evening. He called in a "mayday" to Miami center, who alerted the fine men and women of the US Coast Guard, who then promptly began a search mission. We all feared the worst, but hoped/prayed for the best. My family has been through this before when I lost another cousin on Swissair Flight 111. Amazingly, the USCG found all of three of them alive and relatively well (a few lacerations, one broken vertebrae, and lots of jellyfish stings) this morning. After successfully ditching in the water, the plane sank, of course, and they began floating. Eventually, they tied themselves to a lobster trap buoy and that's where they were found.
About two weeks ago, my uncle purchased a few inflatable life vests to keep in the plane. He hadn't flown anywhere since getting the vests, and threw them in his car before going to the airport yesterday afternoon. Apparently, he was in the plane and taxiing towards the runway for departure when he realized that he left the vests in the car. Having made the short over-water hop from Marathon to the mainland many many times without incident, he figured that he'd just get them the next time. Something told him otherwise and he taxied back to the ramp, shutdown, and got the vests. Pretty amazing that he was nudged into going back (I think we all know how easy it would be to continue on,) but the moral is to ALWAYS be prepared for a worst case scenario. Glad that this one has a happy ending.
Here's a link to the Coast Guard press release: http://www.news-press.com/article/20.../91010023/1075
__________________
Ryan
Tampa, FL
RV-4 (sold)
RV-8 (sold)
Xtreme Decathlon (borrowing)
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10-10-2009, 02:52 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: KSLC
Posts: 4,021
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Yep..............must be that little voice of a Guardian Angel. That's what we named our plane.
L.Adamson
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10-10-2009, 04:03 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Corvallis Oregon
Posts: 3,547
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Phew
And maybe next time a PLB worn around the neck might be a good idea.
really glad they made it!
Frank
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10-10-2009, 04:38 PM
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Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: WA State
Posts: 192
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Remarkable...
Having to ditch at night is a really bad situation, even if there's moonlight or other lighting (which I assume wasn't the case here). The pilot (your uncle) did one **** of a job getting the plane down intact so that everyone had a chance to egress safely. I would love to hear or read his account of events at some point...he sure did a lot of things right under extremely difficult circumstances. And praise God for the "nudge" to go back for the life preservers, eh?
From the Coast Guard report and your posting it doesn't sound like your uncle was carrying a PLB. Absolutely no criticism intended here...just reinforcing to myself (out loud) the merits of carrying a PLB on EVERY flight...especially over hostile terrain (mountains, open water, etc.). I wonder how much sooner they would have been found and recovered if he had been carrying one? It might have saved them a long and stressful night in the water.
So glad to hear of the happy ending and the safe return of your family members!  Your aunt will not be forgetting her 50th B-Day any time soon I guess... 
__________________
Will McClain
N954WM (Reserved)
Last edited by WhiskeyMike : 10-10-2009 at 04:42 PM.
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10-10-2009, 04:53 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Savannah, GA
Posts: 1,849
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Wow three getting out of a Mooney at night in the water! He must have done did it right!
__________________
Todd
N110TD
RV-10 Vesta V8 LS2/BMA EFIS/One formerly flying at 3J1 Hobbs stopped at 150 hours
Savannah, GA and Ridgeland, SC
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10-10-2009, 05:49 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Tampa, FL
Posts: 406
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WhiskeyMike
Having to ditch at night is a really bad situation, even if there's moonlight or other lighting (which I assume wasn't the case here). The pilot (your uncle) did one **** of a job getting the plane down intact so that everyone had a chance to egress safely. I would love to hear or read his account of events at some point...he sure did a lot of things right under extremely difficult circumstances. And praise God for the "nudge" to go back for the life preservers, eh?
From the Coast Guard report and your posting it doesn't sound like your uncle was carrying a PLB. Absolutely no criticism intended here...just reinforcing to myself (out loud) the merits of carrying a PLB on EVERY flight...especially over hostile terrain (mountains, open water, etc.). I wonder how much sooner they would have been found and recovered if he had been carrying one? It might have saved them a long and stressful night in the water.
So glad to hear of the happy ending and the safe return of your family members!  Your aunt will not be forgetting her 50th B-Day any time soon I guess... 
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It's ok to criticize, and you're right, a PLB would have certainly helped in this situation. Not sure what his feelings are on flying in the future, but I don't think it will take much convincing to get him to buy one. I'll post his account of what happened once I get a chance to get the full story directly from him. And yeah, what a crazy birthday for my aunt. This was supposed to be a huge party (rented a place, hired a band, catered, etc...) that my uncle put together for her. Although they cancelled the party, I imagine that she is one happy girl tonight.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TSwezey
Wow three getting out of a Mooney at night in the water! He must have done did it right!
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You got that right. I suspect the same nudge that made him go back for the life vests helped him fly the plane as well.  My uncle is a fairly low-time, non-instrument rated pilot, who hasn't flown much at night. Truly a miracle.
__________________
Ryan
Tampa, FL
RV-4 (sold)
RV-8 (sold)
Xtreme Decathlon (borrowing)
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10-10-2009, 11:35 PM
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Reno, NV
Posts: 2,125
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Divine intervention OR Trust your gut OR Always prepare for the worst
Ryan, sounds like all three at work...and one heck of a job by your Uncle, flying the airplane all the way. Scariest of situations, but he sure must've kept his head, and done it right! Listening to that little voice and going back was sure incredibly good judgement!
He sure deserves a lot of credit for saving the lives of all on board!
Please pass a big "job well done", and it sure is good to hear about such a positive outcome for your family!
All the best!
Bob
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10-12-2009, 04:17 PM
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
Posts: 2,408
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Ryan, I read your post Saturday with amazment. It's so good to hear a happy ending from such a terrible event. I was shocked to see their story on our local news tonight way up here in Nova Scotia. There must be a few people , like myself, that like good news, for them to broadcast that great story of survival.
We're flying floatplanes up here and myself and my passengers always where inflatable vest. My friend almost lost his life, by his own admission, last winter down south in a rip current. He admits to being a very poor swimmer and still refuses to wear a flotation devise while float flying. He also does not reccomend his passengers do so. He does carry life jackets in the aft baggage compartment which can be reached from the rear seat. They will not do them much good if inverted.
I wish your uncle could meet up with him, ( actually I have two friends that could use his help) and tell his story face to face. Perhaps that would get thru to them.
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10-15-2009, 06:26 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Bay Pines, FL (based @ KCLW)
Posts: 1,955
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Wow Ryan, I had no idea this was your Uncle.
Can't wait to discuss the details with you over breakfast on Sunday.
__________________
Danny "RoadRunner" Landry
Morphed RV7(formally 7A), N20DL, PnP Pilot
1190+ hours
2019 Donation Paid
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10-25-2009, 07:07 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Centrerville, MD
Posts: 13
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I read this with a cold chill. Last night I did a search of the 5 aircraft I have owned and 2/5 of them are now scrap metal somewhere. The Mooney was not one of them. Please tell me the hull number was NOT N685_U which, according to the FAA records, now lives in Tampa.
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