Anyone remember the pilot who jumped out after a midair in Coolidge arizona? The left seat guy died, the right seat guy (who stayed in a plane that was missing half of one wing, and the fuslage from the rear window back) survived. I'll take my chances with the crushable structure surounding me.

 

WHAAAATTTTTTT how dare you try and agree with me!!! lol whats up bud

 

Great question.

And many great replies.

I'd aim for anything with concrete. At night those would be lined with street lights (and powerlines).

IMHO "dark areas" at night would not be a smooth place to put a plane down.

Land on a big, wide street and make the local news at 11pm.

You'll live to fly another day and who know's, maybe the local reporter who interviews you is a hot chick.

Cheers,
ImTumbleweed
"Afterburner is a great substitute for poor headwork"

 

I wouldn't jump out of a moving airplane into the water, and I'm what you would call a good swimmer.

I have done it in the military under very controlled circumstances, and even big strong dudes are going to feel it (and can get knocked out) if they screw up the entry.

The water entry depends on the aircraft exit technique...which would be totally uncontrolled in this case. And at night? Forget about it.

 

Preparation and experience will help you develop a better idea of your options when flying at night.

Over time you will subconciously begin to evaluate your environment and begin to note airports within gliding distance, know the weather and direction of winds, and even at night look for landing places that may be suitable. It's amazing how it all comes together over time but the trick is, you have to get out there and mentally practice. Always look for your "out," day or night.

Quick note: Please don't simulate engine out emergency procedures at night by yourself and only do it with a CFI in a controled situation. If you do a power-off approach, day or night, always clear your engine to insure you still have power if you need it.

Surviving an engine failure at night is not impossible but it is more difficult.

Keep practicing...Good question...

Jeffrey

 

Don't know about you guys, but the "jump out" thing doesn't sound like a good idea. I'll fly it until it stops, thanks! Might as well use the airframe to protect me as much as possible. That is, after all, what the airframe should do - and is designed to do.

I agree with the sentiment about landing lights...

 

Haha I never said I'd jump out! I was just told to never put a GA plane down in the water . . . even if you survived maybe the airframe could get warped to the point that you couldn't escape. Your neck could get broken as the airplane whipped around, and your organs crushed as you are thrown into the yoke . . . stuff that gets put in the Saw movies I'm gonna stop thinking about it

 

Yup straight out of it . . . didn't even mention 121.5 in that section.

 

That is just scary.

As for your water landing, disregard what you were told, they lied to you. It doesn't even make sense that a water landing would cause some weird cartwheeling deal. Your safer landing in the water, if you do it right IMO. Of course smooth ground is always optimal, but devoid of a smooth site water is where I am going. Here are two vidoes:

YouTube - Destroyed in Seconds - Plane Crash This one you actually see the landing, and watch the descent rate, this was stupid of the pilots and nearly totaled the aircraft in the process. Moral of this? Fly in just above the water under control and flare flare flare until you achieve a stall just above the ground and settle in. Don't be practically stalled and falling in from 50 feet like he did. You can see the aircraft about to stall multiple times on the way in, poor poor technique. Any engine failure should be handled one way, best glide till ground effect, flare to a normal landing regardless of what terrain your going to land on.


These next two are the same crash:

YouTube - Plane Crash - California This one in the beginning you can catch a glimpse of the crash, and at the end you can see on the left side the guy in the white shirt walking out of the water on his own steam.

YouTube - Small Plane makes emergency landing on beach Here you can see that aircraft afterward, barely any damage. You can't see the crash from my searches, but I presume he did more of a normal landing and didn't stall it in from 50 feet like the first one.

 

[quote=Planespotta;704280]Good luck avoiding those power lines/over passes/highway signs/cars with broken lights/telephone poles . . .[/

even so, if you were to hit those things at stall speed, your chances of survival are better than a lake in the middle of feb (that was thought to be a field). youd also be accessible to emergency vehicles, etc.

someone at a company i used to work for landed a caravan in IA at midnight on a highway. he didnt' hit anything and was undoubtedly lucky, but he survived.

the point is, if you can find a straight piece of concrete, it's not a bad option. better than the "shut the lights off if you don't like what you see" theory, but to each his own