http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/01/26/2-small-planes-ditch-into-sea-off-hawaii-all-aboard-survive/?intcmp=latestnews

Video of Cirrus http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/27936350/single-engine-plane-running-out-of-fuel-preparing-to-ditch-off-maui

Wow,

Does a cirrus have enough range to make it from CA to HI? Did he have external tanks? This seems crazy.

Marc

Addicted2climbing wrote:Wow,

Does a cirrus have enough range to make it from CA to HI? Did he have external tanks? This seems crazy.

Marc

Portable ferry tanks inside the plane.

58Skylane wrote:

Addicted2climbing wrote:Wow,

Does a cirrus have enough range to make it from CA to HI? Did he have external tanks? This seems crazy.

Marc

Portable ferry tanks inside the plane.

Miscalculating your endurance requirements by 230 miles is a real neat trick that works out well with a BRS installed

2073 nm. I don't know Cirrus numbers but roughly 160 knots cruise is 13 hours (cruise is a little slower at ferry weight). 14 gal/hr is 181 gal. Throw an extra hour on board for reserve and you're at about 200 gal. Maybe a transfer pump stopped working on his internal ferry tank, maybe the headwinds in the last 6 hours (after his PNR calc) got horrendous. 3 hours short of fuel on a planned 13 hour trip is a lot of bad luck.

Prop was still turning so it hadn't quit yet - hope it wasn't just a fuel gauge problem. Noticed the chute took a little while to level the airplane out. Also that for a plastic airtight plane it sank pretty quick - he didn't take a lot out with him, just the kid's wading pool raft.

Given the level of risk involved and the cost implications of not making it, why would anybody try to ferry a small SE plane to Hawaii rather than having it shipped? I don't get it. Heck, I take the long route to the San Juans just to avoid a 12 minute flight over big water. I circle the islands to a point where there is only 2 nm of water to deal with.

It's amazing what people can pull off and get rescued in HAWAIIAN waters these days.

Flyhound wrote:Given the level of risk involved and the cost implications of not making it, why would anybody try to ferry a small SE plane to Hawaii rather than having it shipped? I don't get it. Heck, I take the long route to the San Juans just to avoid a 12 minute flight over big water. I circle the islands to a point where there is only 2 nm of water to deal with.

The FAA will not allow Cessna 172 ferry permits after several accidents. But, Cirrus has had good record so far. With Turtlepacs ferry has become very easy compared to a container.

About 20 years a ago a small group of V tail pilots did an around the world flight. They all had ferry tanks and the last and longest leg (I believe) was from Hawaii to California. They all did fine with just one slight problem. On removing the ferry tanks in the bay area, a mechanic made a slight mistake with fuel lines on one of the planes and when they had to switch tanks he had no fuel available so he did an off airport landing near Hilt CA.

All the way around the world then runs out of gas and lands 150 feet from I-5 and totals plane.

Tim

I know this kid, the pilot. He's successfully ferried multiple Cirrus overseas. Initial report from mutual associates is that the fuel transfer failed.

Just glad he had such good WX, and a parachute, and a cruise ship, nice kid.

Sam

Cool to see the chute in action. Man that is a long flight. I bet he had a six pack of gatorade bottles in the right seat.

Probably sank faster than normal with that chute pulling it along like a yacht....

scottf wrote:Cool to see the chute in action. Man that is a long flight. I bet he had a six pack of gatorade bottles in the right seat.

The chute is awesome! I love the little one man life raft.

Battson wrote:Probably sank faster than normal with that chute pulling it along like a yacht....

I wonder if Cirrus will offer a Spinnaker Pole option soon.

From what AOPA shared on Facebook, the ferry tanks failed. I'm guessing that is why 1) he put down near the Veendam and 2) the Coast Guard was there to film it. I'm guessing he knew he wasn't going to make it and they aided in helping him get near a vessel that could pick him up.

Grassstrippilot wrote:From what AOPA shared on Facebook, the ferry tanks failed. I'm guessing that is why 1) he put down near the Veendam and 2) the Coast Guard was there to film it. I'm guessing he knew he wasn't going to make it and they aided in helping him get near a vessel that could pick him up.

It happens a lot. A "masterful" pilot suddenly realizes he is running low on fuel to far from land. Makes a radio call...the USCG or Navy in the area then gets to film the ditching.

My sister-in-law recently worked as a cruise ship nurse for Holland America. They did a lot of rescues. I asked if she has heard about this and if she had any friends on the boat. She sent me this link.

http://www.Hollandamericablog.com

Grassstrippilot wrote:My sister-in-law recently worked as a cruise ship nurse for Holland America. They did a lot of rescues. I asked if she has heard about this and if she had any friends on the boat. She sent me this link.

http://www.Hollandamericablog.com

It's an International law to respond to these situations. I read there was state prosecution in Australia when a private yacht did not respond "appropriately" to a mariner in distress. I have rescued a few people near shore on my own boat.

8GCBC wrote:

Battson wrote:Probably sank faster than normal with that chute pulling it along like a yacht....

I wonder if Cirrus will offer a Spinnaker Pole option soon.

Hah! Good call.

I bet he's not laughing. Watching your million dollar (NZ money) baby sink would ruin your day.

Battson wrote:

8GCBC wrote:

Battson wrote:Probably sank faster than normal with that chute pulling it along like a yacht....

I wonder if Cirrus will offer a Spinnaker Pole option soon.

Hah! Good call.

I bet he's not laughing. Watching your million dollar (NZ money) baby sink would ruin your day.

Rodgers set down North of Hawaii and sailed his seaplane the rest of the way! First aircraft to make it (kind of).

http://hawaii.gov/hawaiiaviation/hawaii-aviation-pioneers/john-rodgers