video - pilot runs out of fuel, pops parachute

On Tue, 27 Jan 2015 00:41:23 GMT, Skywise wrote:

http://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2015/01...ape.u-s-coast-
guard

"The pilot of a single engine aircraft that ran out of fuel is safe after
ditching his aircraft more than 200 miles northeast of Maui, Hawaii."


http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/new...-cirrus-plane-
deploys-parachute-after-running-out-fuel-near-hawaii

"The pilot, en route from Tracy, Calif., to Kahului...."


http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N7YT


This incident sort of reminds me of Steve Rhine's ferry flight across the
Atlantic:
https://web.archive.org/web/20061030133403/http://www.alexisparkinn.com/nwpilot's_tranatlantic_flight.htm.

----------------------- Excerpt ----------------------------
Day 2: Goose Bay, Canada to Narsarsuaq, Greenland. This Is where the fun
begins! The plan was to go from Goose Bay to Keflavik, Iceland -- but I had
fuel system troubles between Greenland and Iceland. Not Fun! Here's what
happened:

After switching to the aircraft fuel (from the ferry tank) strange things
started happening. The 100-gallon ferry tank went dry after only 7 hours,
burning 8 to 9 gallons per hour! Something just did not add up...

Then, the G1000 started to go nuts, with the fuel indicators displaying red
X's. Next, I received a CO2 detector failure, then GPS-1 failure! At this
point I was thinking "What next!?"

Well, I didn't have to wait long: The G1000 display suddenly went black,
with white text in the left hand corner saying "initializing system"!

(Note: All this was happening at night, locked in the soup, at FL070 and
200+ miles from the nearest land -- with almost no communication with a
ground-based person!)

When the G1000 got done rebooting, I found myself missing my airspeed
indicator and fuel gauges -- and it was now displaying a bunch of other errors.
Assessing my situation, I figured that I had no fuel gauges, the G1000 is
continually rebooting, possible CO2 in the cabin, AND an apparent fuel leak!

At this point I am thinking to myself that if I do still have full fuel in
the aircraft tanks I could make it the 490 miles to Keflavik -- but I would be
cutting it really close. With no indicators showing quantity, and the missing
fuel from the ferry tank indicating a possible leak, I figured it would be best
if I got on the HF radio, declared an emergency, and turned back to Greenland!

So I declared an emergency and went in to a 100FPM climbing turning back
toward Greenland. I received a response from a DHL & Air France airliner, who
both relayed the emergency call. They responded that they would open the
Narsarsuaq airport for me.

"Thank You, Portable GPS Units!!" At this point, my handheld was my only
reliable navigational aid.

Upon reaching FL095 I was on top and looked to my left -- and really got
scared!!! The aircraft vent was venting a large amount of fuel out into space!
Thank you, Cessna for the under-wing courtesy lights!

So I kept the 100 fpm climb going up to 13,000 feet (for crossing the
icecap), and finally established radio communication with some one on the HF. I
informed them of the fuel venting problem, and the constantly rebooting G1000
PFD.

They assure me that they have rescue team waiting and ready, in case I have
to ditch!

As I grind closer and closer to Narsarsuaq, at about 60 miles out they send
up a rescue chopper, locate me, and guide me in, since I am unable to make the
NDB approach with the G1000 rebooting itself. (The ADF display is tied to the
G1000's HSI.)

I spot the airport in the middle of all the black, and ATC has me do a
steep spiraling decent all the way down to 3,000'. At that point I must
follow the chopper, who will keep me away from the mountains... Who would have
ever thought that knowing THAT maneuver would pay off?

Everything worked as planned. On downwind I noticed that the fuel gauges
were not red X's anymore, and were now reading full. Then, as I turned to
final, they go to red X's again, and as I landed the G1000 once again rebooted
as I rolled out.

Now it's showing 1/2 fuel in 1 tank, and 3/4 in the other ????

I taxied in and parked this bird for the night, still a bit shook up from
the events of the past few hours. I find a bed and lay there for a few hours,
thinking about the days events

Photos from Day 2:





Steven in "The Suit"




The Skyhawk parked at Goose Bay




Half-way from Goose Bay