Pilot 'a hero' for emergency ocean landing

[tblaxland]

Looks like water ditchings are the new black:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/11/19/2747466.htm

The pilot of a CareFlight jet is being hailed a hero after he safely ditched the plane into the Pacific Ocean after bad weather prevented him from landing at Norfolk Island.

The Westwind jet was due to land on Norfolk Island to refuel but it flew into thick fog.


After several attempts at landing, Mr James - already on a list of Cleo's 50 most eligible bachelors - ditched in the ocean about two kilometres from the coast.


Mr James and the remaining five people on board escaped over the wing and waited in the water for more than an hour before being rescued by a fishing boat.

The plane: http://www.airliners.net/photo/Care...1420771/&sid=c03b75e9ff7e3c634ef3595cf2fb50ac

 

[simonpro]

Why is he a hero? Running out of fuel (even on a mercy flight) generally makes you a clown, not a hero.

 

[tl8]

Why is he a hero? Running out of fuel (even on a mercy flight) generally makes you a clown, not a hero.

Well, not that I am defending him but he and his passengers survived

He was in the middle of no where, in poor weather, had circled for an hour and had tried to land four times. The plane needed to refuel on that island or ditch in the sea. Apparently the weather was ok at Norfolk when they took off

Although I think a hero is a bit strong, damn lucky is a better word

 

[BHawthorne]

...Mr James - already on a list of Cleo's 50 most eligible bachelors...

I'm confused how this is relevant to anything?

 

[garyw]

Why is he a hero? Running out of fuel (even on a mercy flight) generally makes you a clown, not a hero.

I was thinking that as well. the article says something along the lines of "the airline didn't have a plan B". Well, Isn't the Captain of the flight responsible for making sure they check diverts and weather? Last time I heard diverting into the water wasn't a good use of a divert

And that cheesy pic....... please!

 

[BHawthorne]

I think he was too buisy learning how to button up his shirt correctly to land.

 

[Urwumpe]

If he ran out of fuel because the fog made landing in Norfolk impossible, he should have diverted to another airport ASAP, instead of waiting for the fog to disappear...

 

[garyw]

"If the pilots weren't as skilled and professional as they were on the day, it could have been a totally different outcome," Mr Sharp said.

Professionalism demands divert planning. They failed to do this.

Mr Sharp conceded Pel-Air did not have a plan-B when the plane ran short of fuel and he says the airline will review its flight plans because the area is notorious for bad weather.

If it's that notorious wouldn't they be keeping an ear to the radio for weather updates or were they out of communications range with everything?

 

[Urwumpe]

Professionalism demands divert planning. They failed to do this.

If it's that notorious wouldn't they be keeping an ear to the radio for weather updates or were they out of communications range with everything?

Exactly. This is the kind of heroism, that nobody needs. He saved the passengers from his own error, short: He did what was expected from him.

.
.
.
.
.
.
.


And you really need better ILS at such airports.

 

[Andy44]

Cool guys make up their own Plan B's on the fly, doncha know.

 

[Hielor]

tl8 and I discussed this a bit in the IRC--if you look at Norfolk Island in google maps, the nearest alternate airport is something like 600 miles away.

 

[Urwumpe]

tl8 and I discussed this a bit in the IRC--if you look at Norfolk Island in google maps, the nearest alternate airport is something like 600 miles away.

Still no reason to not divert 600 miles away, instead of gambling with the lives of the passengers. This is all a matter of preflight planning, not luck. This place is known to have critical fog pretty often, so you need to be prepared for it.

http://www.airservicesaustralia.com/publications/current/dap/AeroProcChartsTOC.htm#N

http://www.airservicesaustralia.com/publications/current/ersa/FAC_YSNF_19-Nov-2009.pdf
http://www.airservicesaustralia.com/publications/current/ersa/RDS_YSNF_19-Nov-2009.pdf

http://www.airservicesaustralia.com/publications/current/dah/9-OCEANIC_CONTROL_AREA.pdf
http://www.airservicesaustralia.com/publications/current/dah/10-ATC_LOW.pdf
http://www.airservicesaustralia.com/publications/current/dah/11-ATC_HL.pdf

http://www.airservicesaustralia.com/publications/current/dah/23-ROUTES.pdf

 

[Sky Captain]

Don`t they have any navigation aids at Norfolk island airport to guide planes in if visibility is bad?

 

[Urwumpe]

Don`t they have any navigation aids at Norfolk island airport to guide planes in if visibility is bad?

No, only PAPI and VOR/NDB

 

[n122vu]

No, only PAPI and VOR/NDB

I'd say it's time for Norfolk Island to invest in some. Rather, time to invest in the lives of the people visiting their island, IMHO.

 

[garyw]

I was reading more about this over on PPRUNE (Pilots rumour network) and according to them the accepted plan of action is to work out a PNR (Point of No Return) and if, at that point, the weather is unacceptable you divert or you return to base. You'd NEVER leave with anything less than "good" weather.

 

[Hielor]

Still no reason to not divert 600 miles away, instead of gambling with the lives of the passengers. This is all a matter of preflight planning, not luck. This place is known to have critical fog pretty often, so you need to be prepared for it.

Oh, I'm not saying that what he did was good in any way at all, but that the incident had started long before he got to the airport and discovered he couldn't land. By that point it was already too late. The incident started way back when the pilot made a flight plan which included a landing at an airport known for bad weather without having a backup plan.

 

[tl8]

I'd say it's time for Norfolk Island to invest in some. Rather, time to invest in the lives of the people visiting their island, IMHO.

The frequency of flights will not allow the funds for this. (Also Norfolk is un-towered as well)
There is no ILS Cat III at any airport in Australia, there is no money for it. There is 1 major parallel runway and that is in Sydeny all the others make do with 1 runway or 2 runways that cut each other.
Compared to the US Australia's airports are tiny. And there is no money to be spent on extra airport facilities.
There is really no need too. This would be the 1st Approach/Landing incident in many years.