3 ms·

Just for context: Without a parachute, these conditions (open ocean, 9-12 foot seas) are hard to survive, right?

• lutorm 12y ago
  Not really. The Cessna had no parachute, and the statistics seem to imply that most pilots ditch successfully. See e.g. http://www.equipped.org/ditchingmyths.htm http://www.equipped.org/ditchingmyths.htm If anything, it's surviving in the water that is difficult, especially in cold waters.
  • mturmon 12y ago
    Thanks. My cursory googling did not turn up any actual rate statistics.
    • cpncrunch 12y ago
      I'm sure there are stats out there...I remember reading a TSB report a while ago (we have a lot of floatplane accidents up here in Canada). As long as you're wearing a shoulder harness, the main risk is drowning after the ditching. To have a good chance of surviving, you need to be already wearing a lifevest, know how to open the door underwater by memory, and then be able to get out. You can do an underwater egress course, which helps increase the odds.
      • mturmon 12y ago
        "I'm sure there are stats out there" (The link supplied by @lutorm contained some stats.)