In the event of a forced landing, wood or water?

[f1rocket]

Originally Posted by Lan Vinh Do

The one in the prairies don' have to search for the answer. There is landing strip everywhere!!

The question becomes "Corn or soybeans?" I prefer mature corn myself. Soybeans tend to grab the wheelpant/gear and flip you over.

I'm not sure how you just stall above trees or water. These aircraft start to sink pretty good as they slow down. Not sure you'll have enough energy to arrest the sink rate just prior to stall.

The other thing to remember when landing in a field is to minimize sink rate, not airspeed. It's usually the vertical stopping that is sudden and does the spine damage. Forward speed usually dissipates more slowly. (unless you hit something solid).

Great discussion. Hope I never have to do it but it's valuable to think about.

[shuttle]

One thing I can recommend, if you can find one, is to do an underwater escape training course. I did one some years back. I'm a poor swimmer and was not looking forward to it, but am glad I did it. The experience stays in your mind forever and gives you something real to base your reactions on when thinking about ditching.

On the course I did - it was a commercial one, not military - we did multiple escapes: from partly submerged but upright; submerged 45 degree inclined and submerged fully inverted. Not pleasant.

For a better idea, here's a link to the course description:
http://www.andark.co.uk/other-traini...r-escape/huet/

They have a short video too (happens to be based around a helicopter, but that doesn't matter:
http://player.vimeo.com/video/15421851

Makes you think, doesn't it?

Steve

[DaAV8R]

I have noticed that many forced landing discussions do not include much if any discussion of wind direction. I could chaulk that up to "because it is so obvious", except that the turn back discussions often don't include the effect of the wind either.

Before each flight, I think about the direction of the wind and the preferred direction of a forced landing. Goes something like: Self, today forced landings will be to the North or the West. By thinking this thru ahead of time, it is one less thing to think about during an emergency.

Like the old saying goes: Better to head into the wind and break ground than head into the ground and break wind

[tmbg]

Originally Posted by Neal@F14

In the water... Retracts of course!

I don't think which end the wiggly wheel is mounted will matter much in the water. Here's a good story that gives you a fair idea of what to expect: http://www.vansairforce.net/articles/Ditching.htm

I think I'd pick woods over water myself.

I wonder how that story changes in a tipper

[flyboy1963]

I've long been a proponent of water ( maybe I'm more afraid of fire!) but this has to change seasonally in most areas. Even in mid-summer, the high altitude lakes are cold. If you are wet and injured, you could succumb to exposure in short order.
Then there's the
-tip vs slider issue...real or not.
-nose vs tailwheel
-solo vs pax ( 1 ....or 3!)

the other factor is passenger egress. If they have not taken a course, or are not agile, can you guarantee the you can get them out? If I'm by myself, I'm willing to assume a different risk scenario. ( I.e. force land, even on a crappy logging road, so it's easier to haul the wreck out!)

[ppilotmike]

When I was younger, I used to work on offshore drilling rigs in deep ocean. We had to take courses in both escape and survival afloat. They are great courses and will 1) make you think about things before they happen and 2) give you some confidence so you don't lose as much precious energy/air to a panic situation. Having been on a rig when it caught fire (luckily didn't have to launch overboard), I can tell you that drills/training are extremely important. However, I'll add that in a real situation, training is only the first part.. Staying calm and executing according to your training is the second, and most times harder thing to do.

[David-aviator]

Wood every time, I can't swim worth a hoot.

[Bob Kuykendall]

Be aware that the type of trees involved makes a big difference in survivability. In the leafy deciduous trees more common in the east, it is pretty realistic to expect to land in the forest canopy and remain stuck in the upper branches.

But in the more conical coniferous trees found out west, you will almost certainly fall straight to the ground after striking a few treetops, with little energy absorption on the way down.

Thanks, Bob K.

[Low Pass]

Water - do you slide the canopy open before ditching? Don't believe it would be a good idea with a dry landing.

[rocketbob]

I watched an ultralight land off-airport in a bean field. It flipped instantly. I also recovered a C150 from a bean field. It flipped within 50 feet of touchdown. Funny thing is both were next to a perfectly usable roads with no traffic. Go for the roads!