Ditching video

[Spin]

I know from a previous search when the discussion came up a while ago, that there aren't too many of these to find - C310 near Hawaii

 

http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/15646096/hawaii-rescue-crews-ready-for-emergency-landing

 

 

[Guernsey]

Good one spin. It just goes to show that having retractable undercarriage definitely helps when ditching whether you have a high wing or a low wing.

 

Alan.

 

 

[Spin]

You'd think so Alan, although according to one of the best and most comprehensive articles I read, the stats don't back up the claim about retractable gear being any better than fixed. I've read that fixed gear Cessna's go over on their back's smashing in the screen on the way, but not seen any evidence to back it up. I've got a photo I took, somewhere in archives, showing a 172 upright in about 20' of water, screen intact and then I found these on the net showing a 180 I think, stopping pretty intact and right way up on the sea.

 

 

I suspect that the sample is too small and there are too many variables to draw a definite conclusion. It is probably more important to ensure that you land under control, at or near minimum speed and in the appropriate direction ie along the swell if significant. In an ideal world I'd probably want to be in a C-210, ie retractable for a clean belly, high wing to reduce the chance of catching a wingtip on a wave just before landing and strutless too, to minimise water drag, but it wouldn't stop me from flying a fixed gear aircraft over water.