Have you ever wondered what happens when a plane runs out of fuel over the ocean?
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that a small plane from the Bay Area had to ditch in the ocean using a built in parachute after running out of fuel near the coast of Hawaii.
The pilot of a single engine Cirrus SR-22 aircraft that ran out of fuel is safe after ditching his aircraft 253 miles northeast of Maui, Hawaii Sunday. At approximately 4:44 p.m. the pilot was able to deploy the aircraft’s airframe parachute system and safely exit the aircraft into a life raft. (Now that took some TravelSkills, right? 🙂 )
The Holland America Veendam cruise ship en route to Lahaina nearby was diverted to help rescue the pilot of the downed plane. Imagine watching all this unfold off the deck of a cruise ship. Unforgettable.
The dramatic video was shot by the crew of a Coast Guard C-130 Hercules airplane, which maintained communications with the pilot during the ditching. The most dramatic footage in the video above is toward the end after splashdown when the pilot evacuates into a life raft and the cruise ship arrives to save him.
Wow! Just wow.
What’s your biggest flying fear?
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Unfortunately the media reports about this accident have been inaccurate. The plane did not run out of fuel, had adequate fuel on board as required for the ferry flight. The problem was a malfunction in the system transferring fuel from the ferry tank to the main tank for use. The pilot is very fortunate to have been in a Cirrus aircraft.
Oh yes, my biggest fear is poor decision making by the crew. I would feel so much better sitting in the cockpit than in 2B, but of course I wouldn’t be able to legally enjoy libations then. 🙂 I’ve had two times (across millions of miles, I should add) where my knowledge from being a private pilot has made me very, very nervous as a passenger on a commercial flight. Love traveling…..still one of the safest modes of transportation!
As a private pilot, I can say that almost always a pilot running out of fuel is absolutely poor planning and judgement. In this case as I understand it, however, the pilot was contracted to ferry the Cirrus to Australia. He was a very experienced ferry pilot, making this trip many times before, and the Cirrus was outfitted with additional fuel tanks to extend its range as much as possible. Even the best weather forecasts (which include wind) are models, and unfortunately when operating at the absolute edge and minor differences can spell trouble. Glad he’s safe!
The flight was operated by a ferry company and the plane was specifically modified to allow for long-distance ferry flights. The flight also had FAA approval. A regular Cirrus cannot make it even close to that far. The pilot experienced a malfunction about 300 miles from Hawaii and, in consultation with the Coast Guard, diverted to pull the parachute near the cruise ship. Please learn some facts before criticizing anyone.
All I can say is that this man, who doesn’t want to identify himself is the dumbest and the luckiest man in the world. First a Cirrus SR-22 is borderline in making that flight and this guy going east to west against the winds was dumb, he had no chance of making it to Hawaii.
But how lucky that he was able to crash land in a area that he was able to get picked up and saved.
If not he could easily found the same faith that Amelia Earhart.