Highway or Field?

[Clip4]

Yeah, so take a scenario where you believe the "fields" you have a choice to land in will 95% cause death or injury to your 5 pax... maybe because it's recently rained or something and you know that the mud plus soybeans will flip you over. In an emergency, let's say because you're on fire, not because of a power unit failure, you need to get her down quick and you decide that a road is more likely to get you help quick... that's well within a pilot's discretionary authority to deviate from any rule to the extent needed to meet the emergency.

Actually it’s not needed, it’s required. Is a scenario you created for yourself when you are willing to risk death or serious injury to more people to save your own hide required? Especially if you have an inflight fire.

 

[RyanShort1]

Actually it’s not needed, it’s required. Is a scenario you created for yourself when you are willing to risk death or serious injury to more people to save your own hide required? Especially if you have an inflight fire.

Um, you're confusing things. The regulation you cite is the "minimum safe altitude" which one can safely do, but which also definitely includes the words "undue hazard" which is not a given on every stretch of road. I flew over hundreds of roads today with no one on them for miles out in west Texas. You act as if all roads are like Dallas traffic at 5:15pm... which is absurd.

 

[Fffflats]

Um, you're confusing things. The regulation you cite is the "minimum safe altitude" which one can safely do, but which also definitely includes the words "undue hazard" which is not a given on every stretch of road. I flew over hundreds of roads today with no one on them for miles out in west Texas. You act as if all roads are like Dallas traffic at 5:15pm... which is absurd.

How many poles were alongside those roads with no traffic? Did these poles on occasion swap sides?

 

[RyanShort1]

How many poles were alongside those roads with no traffic? Did these poles on occasion swap sides?

Don't go there. A ton of them did not have poles, and yes, I actually notice because I do a lot of aerial photography work and pay a lot of attention to that kind of stuff.

I could have safely landed the plane I was in on more than 3/4 of them. Aircraft type matters, too... I was in a Trinidad yesterday, but when I'm flying the Super Cub, a lot of places become options that aren't as good of an option in something else.

 

[Fffflats]

Don't go there. A ton of them did not have poles, and yes, I actually notice because I do a lot of aerial photography work and pay a lot of attention to that kind of stuff.

I could have safely landed the plane I was in on more than 3/4 of them. Aircraft type matters, too... I was in a Trinidad yesterday, but when I'm flying the Super Cub, a lot of places become options that aren't as good of an option in something else.

Sounds like you have some good roads. You’re in the minority. PNS I-10 was a lottery winner and completely different than your situation. As to your fields, they aren’t a 95% fatality risk, they’re a better than 95% survivable.

 

[RyanShort1]

Sounds like you have some good roads. You’re in the minority. PNS I-10 was a lottery winner and completely different than your situation. As to your fields, they aren’t a 95% fatality risk, they’re a better than 95% survivable.

That depends on the emergency. If you are in a situation requiring medical assistance, being in too rural of a spot could be fatal for your passengers.

 

[Clip4]

Um, you're confusing things. The regulation you cite is the "minimum safe altitude" which one can safely do, but which also definitely includes the words "undue hazard" which is not a given on every stretch of road. I flew over hundreds of roads today with no one on them for miles out in west Texas. You act as if all roads are like Dallas traffic at 5:15pm... which is absurd.

Actually it’s isn’t my assertion, but you changed the original situation. The original situation presented by the OP was “Your options are a busy highway or a sloping/bumpy field. Which one would you land on, and why?”

Sloping and bumpy isn’t much of a hazard and landing on the busy highway is carries more risk for yourself and the people on the ground.

During a night flight over an urban area I might pick an industrial park for an emergency landing. Late at night they are usually vacant, the entrance road is wide and lit with easy EMS access it it goes to crap.