Dave Siciliano
Final Approach
Al Benzing, a friend that is a captain for Northwest sent this post.
Thought if would be of interest.
In this case, having the second engine gave the crew a lot of time to arrange help.
Best,
Dave
==============================================================
Had an interesting flight from Portland to HNL today. While enroute we heard an chatter on the 'common' Freq (123.45) about an aircraft in distress. For the next 3 hours we listened to relays of messages to get the Coast Guard C-130 and Navy P-3's set up for Rendezvous and attempt to assist. For an hour or so we could also hear the Seminole and Rescue aircraft. It wasn't until 4 or 5 hours later that we heard a news report that the pilot (and passenger!) had survived the ditching and were picked up by a ship. Below are a few notes I made enroute.
A/C VHCZE Planning to Ditch near EXAMS? (400nm NE Hilo.)
Piper Seminole w one engine out. Female pilot (Shirley?) w another escorting Seminole VHCZI (Aussies? based on accent)
At 2158Z Position N2746 W14113 - heading direct Hilo.
At 2239Z Position N2715 W14214 at 4500' and 91 kts Ground Speed. 837 nm fm Hilo.
Mag Track 228 degrees. Fuel 5 hours (58 gals) Plan to ditch w 1 hour fuel remaining.
Coast Guard C-130 (Rescue 1714) launched out of HNL to intercept.
Can drop rafts & radio & survival kit. No swimmers from C-130. Helo's only have 150nm range
Rendezvous with C-130 planned at:
N2435 W14717 at 0025Z
First visual contact by two Navy P-3's (enroute to Pt Mugi, CA).
P3's on scene at 2350Z
One plan is to have Taiwanese fishing boat w/i 2 hrs after estimated ditching time.
Would be long time in the water and trying to find better alternative.
Cactus 938 & AA283 assisting.
They were relaying many messages on Positions, etc, and conditions.
Three-way relays to/fm Coast Guard, Oakland Center (via another A/C with
SATCOM)
We could hear (them) for several hours, along with the Seminole pilots for quite a while.
The pilots in both Seminoles were communicating well, and prepared for ditching.
New plan to have her stay aloft 30 mins longer, with heading to be near a vessel.
Another concern is whether the other Seminole would have enough fuel to make Hilo.
Considering the length of time he was flying formation at 90kts. Apparently he made it.
At 0033Z Position N2539 W14514 3 hrs fuel (last position we heard)
After we landed in HNL - and several hours later, we say the following news
report:
2 people rescued after plane ditches north of Hilo
Plane was 535 miles northeast of Hawaii
Star-Bulletin Staff
A small plane that developed engine trouble while flying from Santa Barbara, California to Hilo ditched into the ocean 535 miles northwest of Hilo at 4 p.m. today.
The Coast Guard helped coordinate the rescue of the two people on board the Piper Seminole.
Once the two people had safely escaped the aircraft, they were rescued from the water by a small boat crew from the container ship Virginius, the Coast Guard said in a written news release. The survivors are now on board the container ship, which is bound for China. A nurse aboard the container ship examined the pair for injuries and reported none.
A Navy P-3 and crew from Patrol Squadron 2 from Kaneohe met the plane about
535 miles northeast of Hilo. A C-130 and crew, from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point, rendezvoused with the Piper Seminole at about 3 p.m. The crew of the C-130 made a makeshift runway with flares on the ocean's surface. The impromptu runway aided the pilot of the distressed aircraft judge wind speed, direction and altitude.
The Coast Guard's Joint Rescue Coordination Center in Honolulu received a call from the Federal Aviation Administration in Oakland at 11 a.m.
requesting assistance. The pilot of the distressed plane reported losing an engine approximately 1,000 miles off the coast of California.
Thought if would be of interest.
In this case, having the second engine gave the crew a lot of time to arrange help.
Best,
Dave
==============================================================
Had an interesting flight from Portland to HNL today. While enroute we heard an chatter on the 'common' Freq (123.45) about an aircraft in distress. For the next 3 hours we listened to relays of messages to get the Coast Guard C-130 and Navy P-3's set up for Rendezvous and attempt to assist. For an hour or so we could also hear the Seminole and Rescue aircraft. It wasn't until 4 or 5 hours later that we heard a news report that the pilot (and passenger!) had survived the ditching and were picked up by a ship. Below are a few notes I made enroute.
A/C VHCZE Planning to Ditch near EXAMS? (400nm NE Hilo.)
Piper Seminole w one engine out. Female pilot (Shirley?) w another escorting Seminole VHCZI (Aussies? based on accent)
At 2158Z Position N2746 W14113 - heading direct Hilo.
At 2239Z Position N2715 W14214 at 4500' and 91 kts Ground Speed. 837 nm fm Hilo.
Mag Track 228 degrees. Fuel 5 hours (58 gals) Plan to ditch w 1 hour fuel remaining.
Coast Guard C-130 (Rescue 1714) launched out of HNL to intercept.
Can drop rafts & radio & survival kit. No swimmers from C-130. Helo's only have 150nm range
Rendezvous with C-130 planned at:
N2435 W14717 at 0025Z
First visual contact by two Navy P-3's (enroute to Pt Mugi, CA).
P3's on scene at 2350Z
One plan is to have Taiwanese fishing boat w/i 2 hrs after estimated ditching time.
Would be long time in the water and trying to find better alternative.
Cactus 938 & AA283 assisting.
They were relaying many messages on Positions, etc, and conditions.
Three-way relays to/fm Coast Guard, Oakland Center (via another A/C with
SATCOM)
We could hear (them) for several hours, along with the Seminole pilots for quite a while.
The pilots in both Seminoles were communicating well, and prepared for ditching.
New plan to have her stay aloft 30 mins longer, with heading to be near a vessel.
Another concern is whether the other Seminole would have enough fuel to make Hilo.
Considering the length of time he was flying formation at 90kts. Apparently he made it.
At 0033Z Position N2539 W14514 3 hrs fuel (last position we heard)
After we landed in HNL - and several hours later, we say the following news
report:
2 people rescued after plane ditches north of Hilo
Plane was 535 miles northeast of Hawaii
Star-Bulletin Staff
A small plane that developed engine trouble while flying from Santa Barbara, California to Hilo ditched into the ocean 535 miles northwest of Hilo at 4 p.m. today.
The Coast Guard helped coordinate the rescue of the two people on board the Piper Seminole.
Once the two people had safely escaped the aircraft, they were rescued from the water by a small boat crew from the container ship Virginius, the Coast Guard said in a written news release. The survivors are now on board the container ship, which is bound for China. A nurse aboard the container ship examined the pair for injuries and reported none.
A Navy P-3 and crew from Patrol Squadron 2 from Kaneohe met the plane about
535 miles northeast of Hilo. A C-130 and crew, from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point, rendezvoused with the Piper Seminole at about 3 p.m. The crew of the C-130 made a makeshift runway with flares on the ocean's surface. The impromptu runway aided the pilot of the distressed aircraft judge wind speed, direction and altitude.
The Coast Guard's Joint Rescue Coordination Center in Honolulu received a call from the Federal Aviation Administration in Oakland at 11 a.m.
requesting assistance. The pilot of the distressed plane reported losing an engine approximately 1,000 miles off the coast of California.
