"Out of fuel, out of hope: 'Help, I'm in the water'"

In article , OtisWinslow wrote:
I'm just dumbfounded that someone would make that flight. What
a sad deal.

(Note I'm pointing this at the generic 'you', not you in particular)

But it happens. No one goes out knowing they'll have an accident - even
conscientious pilots have losses of judgement. *Never* think 'That could
never happen to me' - once you do, you stop thinking about it until you
realised you hadn't been keeping track of time, and ... was the left
tank really up to the tabs? Always be on guard for dumbass mistakes YOU
might make rather than thinking "I'll never {run out of fuel|VMC into
IMC|forget to put the dipstick back in|forget to do a W&B and find the
plane with an aft CofG only after takeoff}"

--
Dylan Smith, Castletown, Isle of Man
Flying: http://www.dylansmith.net
Frontier Elite Universe: http://www.alioth.net
"Maintain thine airspeed, lest the ground come up and smite thee"

"Dylan Smith" wrote in message
...
In article , OtisWinslow
wrote:
But it happens. No one goes out knowing they'll have an accident - even
conscientious pilots have losses of judgement.

Over water so cold it's not survivable .. at nite .. no flotation equipment
....
inadequate planning so as to have enough fuel considering the winds aloft?
That's not lack of judgement, that's a major meldown. I don't want it to
sound like I'm crucifying the poor kid .. listening to that tape is just
a heart breaker.

On Thu, 28 Apr 2005 08:00:17 -0700, "Matt Barrow"
wrote in
::

1) Poor fuel planning and continuing on with low fuel from Michigan side.

Do you have evidence that the aircraft didn't suffer from a fuel leak?

"Larry Dighera" wrote in message
...

Do you have evidence that the aircraft didn't suffer from a fuel leak?


Does that make a difference? The pilot chose a route that was intolerant of
either.

On Thu, 28 Apr 2005 16:49:07 GMT, "Steven P. McNicoll"
wrote in
t::

"Larry Dighera" wrote in message
.. .
On Thu, 28 Apr 2005 08:00:17 -0700, "Matt Barrow" wrote in :

1) Poor fuel planning and continuing on with low fuel from Michigan side.

Do you have evidence that the aircraft didn't suffer from a fuel leak?


Does that make a difference?

A difference? It points out that erroneous conclusions are possible,
and that speculation as to the cause of aircraft mishaps is risky.

The pilot chose a route that was intolerant of either.

Perhaps.

I'm sure you have traversed hostile terrain in your Champ at one time
or another.

Larry Dighera wrote:
1) Poor fuel planning and continuing on with low fuel from Michigan side.

Do you have evidence that the aircraft didn't suffer from a fuel leak?


Back in my days of flying Apaches, I always worried about that expandable fuel
cap popping loose and allowing the fuel to syphon out into the wind at night
when I'm unlikely to see it.

Folks need to be a little circumspect about what this unfortunate fellow did and
didn't do. None of us were there. And there but for the grace of God....

I did lots of stuff when I was 20 that I wouldn't do today.



--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN

VE

"Mortimer Schnerd, RN" wrote in message
.com...

Folks need to be a little circumspect about what this unfortunate fellow
did and
didn't do. None of us were there. And there but for the grace of God....

I did lots of stuff when I was 20 that I wouldn't do today.


Anyone have any of those "I Learned About Flying From..." stories?

A year ago, I missed plastering myself all over the landscape but the
dumbest of luck AND timing.

I figure that incident used up all my life's supply of luck, so I don't
count on it anymore.

Anyone want details to hobnob over?


--
Matt
---------------------
Matthew W. Barrow
Site-Fill Homes, LLC.
Montrose, CO

Matt Barrow wrote:
Here's just a few:
1) Poor fuel planning and continuing on with low fuel from Michigan side.
2) Water crossing
3) No floatation devices



If he had pants on, he had floatation gear. Get someone to show you how to knot
the legs, then inflate the pants by swinging it over your head from above and
behind you to in front of you in one swift movement. The trapped air will then
hold you up for quite a while like water wings.... and they can always be
reinflated ad nauseum.

His biggest risk was hypothermia. If he'd only had a light.... I always carry
a waterproof light with me in my car and when I fly. Always.



--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN

VE

"Mortimer Schnerd, RN" wrote in message
.com...

If he had pants on, he had floatation gear. Get someone to show you how
to knot the legs, then inflate the pants by swinging it over your head
from above and behind you to in front of you in one swift movement. The
trapped air will then hold you up for quite a while like water wings....
and they can always be reinflated ad nauseum.

His biggest risk was hypothermia. If he'd only had a light.... I always
carry a waterproof light with me in my car and when I fly. Always.


If he'd only had a light? If he'd only gone around the lake!

Mortimer wrote:

His biggest risk was hypothermia. If he'd only had a light....

A light? As long as we are wishing here, if only he wore a wetsuit and
life preserver equipped with a McMurdo FastFind Plus PLB and a flashing
beacon.

--
Peter