Berchmans
Well Known Member
The importance of underwater egress training.
Underwater egress training saved my life and the life of my wife. My wife and I were involved in a floatplane accident. The plane impacted the water during takeoff, flipped over and sank immediately. This is the aftermath of the crash.
The instructors attempt to convey all of this. They stressed the importance of having a reference point and focusing on it and here is the hard part?waiting, so that your actions can have a chance of succeeding. It does no good to push on a door or pull on a canopy until the plane is completely flooded, it won?t move.
I remembered all of this at the moment it counted. As my head went underwater, I was able to grab my reference point. This happened to be the top latch on the door (a Citabria has two door latches). As the plane rolled, I released my harness and grabbed the other door latch, never letting go of the top latch in the process. I was then able to push the door open and get out. My wife (who had not had the training) was disoriented and trying to get out the side of the airplane that has no door. I was able to grab the back of her survival vest and pull her out the plane backwards. Witnesses on shore said that this all took about 30 seconds. I have no idea how long it took. Another float plane came to our aid about 4 minutes after the crash.
I fly in Alaska, on floats and wheels. Regardless of where you fly however it is always best to be as prepared as you can for any emergency. I cannot stress strongly enough how important underwater egress training is. I absolutely believe that if one of us had not had the training, we would not have survived the event. If you haven?t taken the training, take it. If you have taken it, take it again. I have and will continue to repeat the class. My wife and friends have since taken it too.
One last thing, wear an inflatable flotation vest with critical survival gear in the pockets. You can only count on getting out of the plane with what you are wearing. Any survival gear in the baggage compartment is really just camping gear and it will sink with the plane.
As always I would like to thank the US Coast Guard and local FAA office for putting on this kind of training. I know of two lives it has saved.
Underwater egress training saved my life and the life of my wife. My wife and I were involved in a floatplane accident. The plane impacted the water during takeoff, flipped over and sank immediately. This is the aftermath of the crash.
The instructors attempt to convey all of this. They stressed the importance of having a reference point and focusing on it and here is the hard part?waiting, so that your actions can have a chance of succeeding. It does no good to push on a door or pull on a canopy until the plane is completely flooded, it won?t move.
I remembered all of this at the moment it counted. As my head went underwater, I was able to grab my reference point. This happened to be the top latch on the door (a Citabria has two door latches). As the plane rolled, I released my harness and grabbed the other door latch, never letting go of the top latch in the process. I was then able to push the door open and get out. My wife (who had not had the training) was disoriented and trying to get out the side of the airplane that has no door. I was able to grab the back of her survival vest and pull her out the plane backwards. Witnesses on shore said that this all took about 30 seconds. I have no idea how long it took. Another float plane came to our aid about 4 minutes after the crash.
I fly in Alaska, on floats and wheels. Regardless of where you fly however it is always best to be as prepared as you can for any emergency. I cannot stress strongly enough how important underwater egress training is. I absolutely believe that if one of us had not had the training, we would not have survived the event. If you haven?t taken the training, take it. If you have taken it, take it again. I have and will continue to repeat the class. My wife and friends have since taken it too.
One last thing, wear an inflatable flotation vest with critical survival gear in the pockets. You can only count on getting out of the plane with what you are wearing. Any survival gear in the baggage compartment is really just camping gear and it will sink with the plane.
As always I would like to thank the US Coast Guard and local FAA office for putting on this kind of training. I know of two lives it has saved.