C172 lands in Brooklyn

Sounds like the pilot did a great job.


Sounds like he did a great job of the flying. He also did a good job of
trying to manage the sensationalism by dismissing the incident as not a
big deal, to introduce some balance to the report.


I think the default emergency landing site when flying low near NYC is the
Hudson River. If there happens to be a clear area on the ground, as there
was in this case, then that's even better (especially for the airplane). But
at worst, you just having to make a water landing (with a high likelihood of
prompt rescue).

What's the story with emergency landings in water for small planes like
C172s and Warriors? What is the best technique for executing one? What
is the most common outcome? What does the outcome tend to depend on? Of
course, the availability of prompt rescue is going to be a big factor,
but I'm more asking about the landing itself.

Tom

What's the story with emergency landings in water for small planes like
C172s and Warriors? What is the best technique for executing one? What
is the most common outcome? What does the outcome tend to depend on? Of
course, the availability of prompt rescue is going to be a big factor,
but I'm more asking about the landing itself.

My instructor told me to make sure the doors are ajar before you hit,
and to expect to be upside down in the water by the time the plane
stops moving. If I were flying down the Hudson river, I'd try to get as
close to the shore as possible without hitting anything, and then fly
it down to the water level, and slow it down as much as possible before
hitting the water. I'd certainly prefer nice terra firma to a water
landing in any case.

--
Guy

"Bill Michaelson" wrote in message
news:htD6h.6145$dh7.2534@trnddc01...
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/15/nyregion/15plane.html

Typical lame ass aeroplane story. "I could tell he was in trouble with his
wings tipping back and forth and to and fro and ya'll come back now".

-----------------------------------------------
DW

The environment you have to fly in out east! Here in Minnesota you'd
have a hard time getting anyone to go for water.............. If
nothing else you have to figure on being knocked out and then very
likely drown unless the rescue is immediate.
Guy

On Nov 15, 6:10 am, Bill Michaelson wrote:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/15/nyregion/15plane.html

A few questions.

1 - Will the pilot get fined (FAA, NTSB, NYPD, parks authority,
anyone)?

2 - How much does it cost to remove the wings from a Cessna and
transport it to the nearest airport?

3 - Is the pilot's overconfidence-verging-on-arrogance ("non-event,"
"walk in the park") at all off-putting to others? (He sounds like an
arrogant jerk who should be thanking his lucky stars - but that's a
non-pilot's opinion.)

4 - Will his insurance go up?

Thanks,
Marc

1 - Will the pilot get fined (FAA, NTSB, NYPD, parks authority,
anyone)?

As Far as the FAA was concerned, he was simply (and successfully)
exercising his Pilot-in-Command power to bring is flight to a safe
conclusion after a minor emergency. The FAA specifically gives the
Pilot In Command final authority in all matters governing the safety of
his aircraft or people on the ground.

2 - How much does it cost to remove the wings from a Cessna and
transport it to the nearest airport?

Not sure about a Cessna... there are about two-dozen bolts which hold
the wings on to my piper... The Cessna is in better shape because the
landing gear are affixed to the fuselage, unlike my Piper which are
affixed to the wing, but I don't know how 'straightforward' the bolt
removal process is in the 172s. A couple hours of labor maybe, plus
the cost of the rental truck. Not horrible in either case (rough
guestimate ~500-750 bucks)

3 - Is the pilot's overconfidence-verging-on-arrogance ("non-event,"
"walk in the park") at all off-putting to others? (He sounds like an
arrogant jerk who should be thanking his lucky stars - but that's a
non-pilot's opinion.)

How is flawlessly performing the actions he's been trained to do
verging on arrogance? If anything, I applaud the pilot for (correctly)
playing down the situation. There is a general consensus among
non-pilots that loosing an engine = airplane falling from the sky...
its simply not true. We train for it... It happens, its a contingency
that we're expected to deal with if the situation arises.

The pilot seems to me to understand that local media would be trying to
blow this out of proportion like they do all aviation accidents... he
played it down as not a big deal because, well, it really isn't that
big a deal. Its not like he's looking to be called a hero, or basking
in the media attention, or anything like that - he did what he was
trained to do when something went wrong. Period, end of story.

That's hardly arrogance.

4 - Will his insurance go up?

Considering his aircraft was undamaged, and the process of removing the
wings, fixing the engine and re-assembling the aircraft are all
maintenence issues (not aircraft incidents, therefore not covered or
cared about by insurance), probably not.

Marc Adler wrote:
On Nov 15, 6:10 am, Bill Michaelson wrote:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/15/nyregion/15plane.html

A few questions.

1 - Will the pilot get fined (FAA, NTSB, NYPD, parks authority,
anyone)?

2 - How much does it cost to remove the wings from a Cessna and
transport it to the nearest airport?

3 - Is the pilot's overconfidence-verging-on-arrogance ("non-event,"
"walk in the park") at all off-putting to others? (He sounds like an
arrogant jerk who should be thanking his lucky stars - but that's a
non-pilot's opinion.)

4 - Will his insurance go up?

Thanks,
Marc

1. Not likely, he did nothing wrong.
2. Hard to say, couple of hundred dollars but it might be more, it's NY
3. Not at all. Pilots are trained from day one how to deal with a
potential off airport landing. He did exactly what he was trained to
do. His biggest lucky break was finding a large open park near the
city, else he would have put it down in the water. If your car breaks
down and you pull off to the side of the road do you feel arrogant
because you did as your were taught?
4. Maybe but not likely. Depends on what happened to the plane to make
the engine stop. The article pointed out that he had fuel so it sounds
like some sort of engine failure.

"Marc Adler" wrote in message
oups.com...
On Nov 15, 6:10 am, Bill Michaelson wrote:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/15/nyregion/15plane.html

A few questions.

1 - Will the pilot get fined (FAA, NTSB, NYPD, parks authority,
anyone)?

I doubt it. If the brakes went out in your car and you safely steered it
into an open field and had to have it towed do you think you should be
fined?



2 - How much does it cost to remove the wings from a Cessna and
transport it to the nearest airport?

Lot and lots.


3 - Is the pilot's overconfidence-verging-on-arrogance ("non-event,"
"walk in the park") at all off-putting to others? (He sounds like an
arrogant jerk who should be thanking his lucky stars - but that's a
non-pilot's opinion.)

He deserves to sound a little arrogant. He took a bad situation in a part of
the country not known for wide open spaces and safely landed. It wasn't his
lucky stars it was skill. He should be thanking the instructors he had over
the years and his own ability.





4 - Will his insurance go up?

Probably only if insurance pays for the wing removal and move.


Thanks,
Marc

Yes he did do a good job of doing the PR. Our local CFI recently put a
C150 down on a busy interstate here without incident. He did an
outstanding job managing the public, police and media. He even ended up
doing an interview on the local NPR outlet. Listening to him, you
definitely had the sense it was like a car breakdown - they happen, and
you just land by the side of the road, no big deal.

Having done a few off field landings, I know roadways are a last resort.
But I also know how difficult it can be to suppress the shock, or
anger, or whatever you feel upon landing so that you can say the right
things to the right people afterwards. It's worth the effort.

wrote:
Sounds like he did a great job of the flying. He also did a good job of
trying to manage the sensationalism by dismissing the incident as not a
big deal, to introduce some balance to the report.

There is a general consensus among
non-pilots that loosing an engine = airplane falling from the sky...

Well, loosing an enging could mean an engine falling out of the sky.
=That= has happened. Come to think of it, losing an engine could mean
the same thing.

Jose
--
"Never trust anything that can think for itself, if you can't see where
it keeps its brain." (chapter 10 of book 3 - Harry Potter).
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