Best Emergency Water Lander - Low Wing or High Wing

VWGhiaBob

VWGhiaBob

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VWGhiaBob
:hairraise: I know this may seem like a strange topic, but it matters to me, as I will be purchasing soon and making frequent trips to Catalina Island, which is about 20NM off the CA Coast.

The question is, which is likely to be the safest in an engine-off water landing: A Piper Warrior (or similar low wing) or a Cessna?

My gut tells me that IF all other things are equal, the low wing might be a tad safer. Why?

First, the low wing might provide a bit of flotation, and when exiting the plane, you just might be able to get out easier. With any luck, you will start out ABOVE the water.

Also, the high wing puts you and your passengers in the water before the wings.

An finally, from the bottom, the Piper is a bit cleaner for hitting the water. Instead of larger wheel struts and an entire fuselage, it has shorter wheels...seems less likely to "dig in" when impacting the water.

That all said, this is my conjecture. But maybe that's all I can do for now. Still, any thoughts would be appreciated!
 
If I had to pick it would be low wing with retractable gear. You can get off topic easily and argue 2 doors are better than one.

For your trip to Catalina Island you should be within glide range most of the time. Maybe calculate how high you need to fly to always be within glide range.
 
You are assuming that the water landing won't end with you inverted?
 
If the gear is down, or fixed, you're most likely going to tumble. Low wing retract gives you the best chance to stay upright.
 
EdFred said:
If the gear is down, or fixed, you're most likely going to tumble. Low wing retract gives you the best chance to stay upright.
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Then Would it be reasonable to say that a high wing fixed gear and with two doors would give better odds for all to get out?

And another consideration for the OP going to Catalina; have you researched shark repellant?
 
JOhnH said:
Then Would it be reasonable to say that a high wing fixed gear and with two doors would give better odds for all to get out?

And another consideration for the OP going to Catalina; have you researched shark repellant?
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Can't say. Once you start tumbling, who knows what your head is going to get banged against. Upside down, banged head, waves rocking the plane up and down. It would be an interesting egress exercise - if you haven't been knocked out.
 
I didn't mention it earlier, but a good set of harnesses tops my list of requirements.
EdFred said:
Can't say. Once you start tumbling, who knows what your head is going to get banged against. Upside down, banged head, waves rocking the plane up and down. It would be an interesting egress exercise - if you haven't been knocked out.
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wabower said:
I didn't mention it earlier, but a good set of harnesses tops my list of requirements.
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Unless a HANS device is also installed, the side windows are still likely to firmly say hello to the head.
 
Maybe so, but not with the same force as the impact that leaves the reverse "Garmin" stamp on your forehead.

EdFred said:
Unless a HANS device is also installed, the side windows are still likely to firmly say hello to the head.
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Buy a twin


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
If you don't tumble, a high wing will likely leave you with the doors below water, and you won't be able to open them until pressure is equalized (i.e. the cabin fills with water.) A low wing will generally stay afloat long enough to get out.

If you do tumble, doesn't matter, you're probably doing an underwater exit either way.
 
Catalina is only 20 miles from the coast. Pick an aircraft with a halfway decent glide ratio and fly with sufficient altitude to make shore.

The only airplanes that make reliable water landings are amphibians. Maybe a Lake. But that's likely to clash with your mission.

As for "staying afloat," if you don't tumble, the Santa Barbara Channel is ROUGH. If you want to test your motion sickness, just take the ferry from San Pedro. In a low wing, you're going to clip a swell. Probably in a high wing as well.
 
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My guess would be that with a high wing the mass of the wing above the point of contact would give more moments for pitching you over. Obviously fixed gear is not a good thing as even at low speed the water will give tremendous drag on contact. I have responded to five aircraft ditchings, three were just an oil slick, the other two were low wings, both were still floating in calm water. My advice? Don't ditch. :yesnod: :D
 
Threefingeredjack said:
My guess would be that with a high wing the mass of the wing above the point of contact would give more moments for pitching you over. Obviously fixed gear is not a good thing as even at low speed the water will give tremendous drag on contact. I have responded to five aircraft ditchings, three were just an oil slick, the other two were low wings, both were still floating in calm water. My advice? Don't ditch. :yesnod: :D
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Thanks for the confidence builder!:yikes:
 
Seamax, Lake, Widgeon, PBY
All kinds of choices, if you are really worried about it.
 
Sac Arrow said:
If you don't tumble, a high wing will likely leave you with the doors below water, and you won't be able to open them until pressure is equalized (i.e. the cabin fills with water.)
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That's why you crack the door and keep it open with a headset or something before you hit the water.
 
Honestly position of the wing would be low on my list of concerns flying over water, or even when ditching, low touchdown speeds would matter most to me.
 
I may be wrong...but I was asked about this a few months ago and did a little bit of research.l..if I remember correctly either the NTSB or FAA compiled and analyzed the statistics for GA forced landings on water and found that high or low wing there wasn't any major difference in outcome...landing speed was the more important factor along with maintaining control all the way in.
 
Many Thanks to Snowbird for Hitting the Nail on the Head!

In case you missed, it this article answers my question more completely than I thought possible.

http://www.equipped.com/ditchingmyths.htm

Answer: It makes no difference.

Thanks, Snowbird!
 
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These pictures tell you all about choosing a low wing.

BTW choose your rescue wisely

José
 

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kgruber said:
That is not a ditching.
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It's a plane with wheels down landing on the water - which I'm pretty sure is what you do with a dtiching. Unless of course you plan on ditching inverted.
 
Many obvious differences, including far-forward placement of the wheels that dig in and cause the flip action, pilot technique, etc. Not that fixed-gear are immune, but not exactly apples-apples comparison.

EdFred said:
It's a plane with wheels down landing on the water - which I'm pretty sure is what you do with a dtiching. Unless of course you plan on ditching inverted.
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wabower said:
Many obvious differences, including far-forward placement of the wheels that dig in and cause the flip action, pilot technique, etc. Not that fixed-gear are immune, but not exactly apples-apples comparison.
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True. I wonder if a tailwheel would be more prone to flipping than a nose wheel.
 
MAKG1 said:
And if a 3-point vs. "wheel" landing makes a difference.
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I can see the arguments for either being more prone to flipping. At least for the conventional vs trike. I would *think* a 3 point in a tw would reduce the chances.
 
tpl_ce_ditch.jpg
 
Is that an "action" shot, or is that aircraft sunk in the surf?

Obviously, it's not going to sink and is less likely to flip if the bottom is a foot below the surface.
 
That was in the open ocean about 30 miles out from Hilo. They ran low from the mainland and landed next to a ship, from where this photo was taken.

There is a whole sequence I've seen somewhere, but can't find them now.
 
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