Ditching an RV in water

[rjbob]

A hatchet has a permanent place in the glove compartment of my 7.

[rockwoodrv9]

Steve, good question. I have wondered about wearing a life vest or having one handy all the time. When Vlad took off going over Lake Michigan, I saw his life vest. That started me thinking.

If I had to make a forced landing in water or into the trees, I want all the air bags possible around me. A life jacket may only offer a small amount of protection, but a small amount is better than none.

I even considered avalanche airbags as a possibility. One of the guys on VAF went over on landing and had severe head - neck injuries. Even a life jacket would help hold your head and neck in line.

Look at this link and consider if you believe it could help protect a pilot and passenger in the event of a forced landing with or without going over. I like the protection overhead. Maybe that would help get out of a tipped over plane?
http://www.snowbigdeal.com/abs-powde...jPAaAgFJ8P8HAQ


I know they make airbag seat belts for planes and that may be a good solution. The idea of the avalanche equipment came to me after seeing it demonstrated and knowing that it has saved many people in the hills of Colorado.

Any thoughts?

Originally Posted by Steve51B

In case I missed it... Do the folks here that fly over water regularlarly also wear a "Mae West" while flying? If so, what is a good one? I fly over Minnesota, "Land of 10,000 Lakes", I've been thinking of buying one.

[rightrudder]

If I had to make an off-airport landing...in the water or otherwise...I'd instruct my passenger to remove the seatback upholstery and place it in front of his/her face before touchdown. That is, if time allowed. Might require loosening/re-cinching the 5-points. I'm a big believer in padding the edge of the glare shield too.

I like the previous poster's suggestion of having a small hatchet at the ready for canopy-breaking.

[Snowflake]

Originally Posted by rockwoodrv9

If I had to make a forced landing in water or into the trees, I want all the air bags possible around me. A life jacket may only offer a small amount of protection, but a small amount is better than none.

In a water landing, the *last* thing you want is a life-jacket-sized air pocket strapped to your body. When the aircraft fills with water, that air pocket will pin you to the highest point in the fuselage. That could be the footwell, the baggage compartment, or the tail cone. You will *not* get out.

Use your jacket or a sweater for padding around your head if needed... But not air.

I know they make airbag seat belts for planes and that may be a good solution.

This would be a much better solution, as they would deflate after they were deployed, and they wouldn't be attached to your body while you were trying to get out.

[fixnflyguy]

I work with the Air belts installed in some airline seats, and they are nothing to mess around with. The system is similar to car airbags with accelerometers and electrical triggering components requiring great care to install and cautions to prevent accidental discharge and injury during maintenance. There was a recent fatality caused by just that. I'm not sure if there any G/A applications out there, but I bet there will be soon.

[catmandu]

Originally Posted by fixnflyguy

I work with the Air belts installed in some airline seats, . . . I'm not sure if there any G/A applications out there, but I bet there will be soon.

There are applications available to GA. Cost / benefit not there for me yet.

[rockwoodrv9]

I am thinking more of the protection from the crash. Any type of air filled jacket or protection is easily deflated. I worry less about being trapped in the foot well than banging my head on the dash, canopy, or anything else hard. Maybe it doesn't have to be attached to the pilot or passenger.

The accident where the A model went over after the plane had slowed down. Necks were injured in the slow flip of the plane was more what I was thinking. I have had my neck fused in two locations and protecting it is a major concern of mine.

Originally Posted by Snowflake

In a water landing, the *last* thing you want is a life-jacket-sized air pocket strapped to your body. When the aircraft fills with water, that air pocket will pin you to the highest point in the fuselage. That could be the footwell, the baggage compartment, or the tail cone. You will *not* get out.

Use your jacket or a sweater for padding around your head if needed... But not air.


This would be a much better solution, as they would deflate after they were deployed, and they wouldn't be attached to your body while you were trying to get out.

I believe I would like it deployed before I crashed. That is the drawback I see with the seatbelt airbags. Great for a car when you don't expect a crash. In an airplane, most of the time you have time to prepare. A Mae West type of jacket would hold your neck and at least partially your head. The avalanche system would be better for ground crashes since it would give you space above your head.

[flynwest]

I too am looking for a good recomendation for a life vest. Going with Rosie to the Islands.

[Arlen]

regarding life vests...

We always have ours on when flying over water (to Bahamas), but we use the type of life vests that inflate by CO2 cartridge or by manual inflation, so we wouldn't get trapped inside by an inflated vest.

I would not ditch in the water with a vest already inflated, for reasons listed above.

I have a small pillow to place over the face - right at touchdown in the water - for protection from the stick.

[ajay]

I'm thinking a combination pancaking and pulling back aggressively to land tail first. Even in a stall you're forward momentum is still carrying you at a fast velocity and the gear will hit first likely with enough force to flip the plane. Hitting tail first will rotate into the gear/wings, but maybe enough drag to prevent cartwheeling over? Also in a 10, maybe thinking open the gull wing doors? Even at a slow speed they will fly open with a crack.

It would be nice if a simulator like Xplane could test out these theories. Any Xplane experts out there? Before my plane was built I practiced with an rv10 model that someone built. That was 4 years ago, after flying, I lost interest in the simulator (wonder why?).

ajay

Originally Posted by turbo

pancake it in! i heard about this technique from an old timer years ago. never tried it, never heard of anyone else even talk about it, so here it is.

approach full flaps and as low as possible, at the last moment pull back and stall the plane. you will gain a bit of altitude and slow to minimum speed before pancaking it in.

a quick prayer to your favorite god or goddess is not a bad idea either.

Definition of PANCAKE LANDING

: a landing in which the airplane is stalled usually unintentionally above the landing surface causing it to drop abruptly in an approximately horizontal position with little forward motion.