Successful Westwind Ditching

[waka]

No Injuries In Westwind Ditching

By Russ Niles, Editor-in-Chief

The crew, a medical team, the patient and the patient's spouse aboard a medical evacuation flight from Samoa to Australia were uninjured after the Pel-Air Westwind jet ditched in the open ocean in weather that prompted the pilot to ditch rather than trying for the airport at Norfolk Island. In a news release Pel-Air Chairman John Sharp said weather deteriorated as the aircraft commander, Capt. Chesley Sullenberger*, made several tries to get on the pavement. for a scheduled fuel stop at Norfolk, As his fuel dwindled he made the hard decision and it worked out. "They performed an intricate landing on water in darkness resulting in the evacuation of everyone safely and quickly," he said.

A boat was on the scene quickly and while everyone aboard was taken to Norfolk Island hospital to be checked, they were all unhurt. The medical team resumed care of the patient in the hospital and arrangements are being made to get the patient back to Australia.















Just kidding, the Captain's name is Dominic James

 

[BornAgainPagan]

No Injuries In Westwind Ditching

By Russ Niles, Editor-in-Chief

The crew, a medical team, the patient and the patient's spouse aboard a medical evacuation flight from Samoa to Australia were uninjured after the Pel-Air Westwind jet ditched in the open ocean in weather that prompted the pilot to ditch rather than trying for the airport at Norfolk Island. In a news release Pel-Air Chairman John Sharp said weather deteriorated as the aircraft commander, Capt. Chesley Sullenberger*, made several tries to get on the pavement. for a scheduled fuel stop at Norfolk, As his fuel dwindled he made the hard decision and it worked out. "They performed an intricate landing on water in darkness resulting in the evacuation of everyone safely and quickly," he said.

A boat was on the scene quickly and while everyone aboard was taken to Norfolk Island hospital to be checked, they were all unhurt. The medical team resumed care of the patient in the hospital and arrangements are being made to get the patient back to Australia.















Just kidding, the Captain's name is Dominic James

Ditched in the ocean with 7 foot swells and it was dark......not quite like the smooth Hudson during daytime. It looks like the self-proclaimed militarily superior Sully was outdone by a civy former pizza driver and model, Dominic James.

 

[ultrarunner]

I'm curious as to the conditions at the airport that made ditching a better option??

 

[BushwickBill]

I'm curious as to the conditions at the airport that made ditching a better option??

Norfolk island is in the middle of nowhere. Still I don't understand this either.

 

[ultrarunner]

Norfolk island is in the middle of nowhere. Still I don't understand this either.

Oh, they were just stopping there for fuel. But geez, I'd love to see the trend reports during the time they tried to land and the ditching.

 

["v"]

TOP JOB fellas!

Would be good to know the wx though. unforecast squall lines maybe?

It's tough to get the forecast spot on when you're in the middle of the pacific with no other forecasts / reports close by.

A company that I used to work for in Oz listed ditching in the SOP's as an option when you've run out of options (we also never left without a full tank of gas going to norfolk island), especially at Norfolk where there is alot of boat traffic.

Just my 2c. But all the same well done to the crew for getting everyone out safely.

 

[Fly2AK]

So according to reports he held for an hour made 3 - 4 attempts to land and was unsuccessful and landed in the ocean with engines running. Don't get me wrong, I am glad everyone is ok, but it sounds like he had made some judgement errors. To compare this to Sully landing a 156,000 lb airplane dead stick in the Hudson vs a power on ditch at night in the ocean I don't think would classify this as being outdoing Sully, besides last I checked it is not a competition. I have worked in the search and rescue environment, and have found crashed airplanes before and I assure you there are a lot more impressive stories out there. I flew 3 years in the Pacific and have seen people ditch in the ocean at night and everyone was fine (I also used to teach classes on ocean ditching) yet no attention was given to those incidents. Glad everyone was ok but I don't believe the hype. I would like to know why a decision wasn't made to go to an alternate, I know Norfolk Island is in the middle of nowhere, but tell me how an operator would be allowed to cross a large body of water with the ability to only land at one airport in bad weather. I have flown ETOPS and even with a VFR forecast we still carried fuel for an alternate and listed an alternate. As for weather reports accross the ocean, it is kind of hard to miss storm systems, But fog I could see sneaking up on you. Storms may turn out worse than expected, move slower or faster, but generally you know they are out there somewhere and you take precautions. Anyways, just my 2 cents, you don't have to agree with me I just have to be a bit cautious before I put someone up on a pedastool. I am glad everyone is ok.

 

[say again]

Ditched in the ocean with 7 foot swells and it was dark......not quite like the smooth Hudson during daytime. It looks like the self-proclaimed militarily superior Sully was outdone by a civy former pizza driver and model, Dominic James.

ahhh, the jealousy continues!!:beer: