The safety cards always have a picture of the plane floating gently on the sea while passengers leave via the inflatable exit slides. Can a plane make a safe landing in the sea without simply crashing?
2006-08-16 02:45:23 · 23 answers · asked by subordinate claws 1 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Aircraft
More likely to happen if it failed to stop on the runway, and went for a paddle.
Otherwise you would be calling it a crash!
2006-08-16 02:53:53 · answer #1 · answered by 'Dr Greene' 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The safety card was a standard adopted by the FAA regulators for aircraft that fly over water.
The guy who decided to place the directions in the aircraft was not an engineer or aviation expert. It was designed to make the passenger feel at ease.
There have been two planes I know of that have tried to land on the water due to an emergency and both were total disasters.
The sudden decrease in forward velocity is too much stress for the aircraft frame.
Saying that any aircraft unless it is equipped with floats can make 1 landing in water. Not necessarily a good one.
2006-08-16 04:23:06 · answer #2 · answered by beedaduck 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It will depend on the condition of the aeroplane, ability of the pilot, sea state, and weather.
All in all, whilst possible - the chances are not good. A 200 tonne aeroplane hitting the water at landing speed might aswell be hitting concrete. What tends to happen in these situations is that the airframe will "skip" off the water (like a flat stone across a pond). After a couple of bounces, it is highly likely that the wings will dip below the water surface, roll the aeroplane and tear it apart at high speed.
There have been incidents that I'm aware of, where heavy aircraft have been forced to ditch in water - and there have been fatalities in all of them. Pure pot luck governs one's survival chances - which are not helped if ditching occurs in adverse weather conditions or in shark infested waters! This has happened and passengers fortunate enough to survive the inital impact have not been as lucky against the local marine inhabitants....!!
2006-08-16 03:36:06 · answer #3 · answered by Woody 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I do believe a South African Airways jet that was being hijacked in about 1997 made an emergency landing in shallow water off the Seychelle Islands. Some casualties, but many people survived.
One obvious problem with landing a jet aircraft with engines slung under the wings is that the engine nacelles would scoop up huge quantities of water and rapidly slow its speed. There is a distinct possibility that the inflow of water would push the aircraft's nose down or subject the forward fuselage to such enormous stresses that the fuselage would snap off.
2006-08-16 13:48:21 · answer #4 · answered by Willster 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Lol, people, Dont talk if you dont know.
In real like, yes, airlines have landed in water without breaking up. There are actually many pictures of aircraft sitting nose down in water. I have even seen a picture of an AWACS radar plane floating in the water.
An interesting note is that in 1988 a pilot landed a 737 on a levy in New Orleans during a storm so terrible hat it flamed out his engines.
2006-08-17 09:20:42 · answer #5 · answered by Doggzilla 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
im sure this happened in kenya or somewhere in that region, about 5-6 years ago. people watched from a beach when plane attempted this a few hundred yards off shore(on film somewhere as was broadcast on the news and i have seen this since on a acciedent TV program, poss. holidays from hell or something) very interesting to see, but dramatic. as someone above says... it bounces 2 or 3 times then a wing drops into the sea then very quickly flips over.
not sure if any survived , after witnessing i think most are dead. look it up on the net with info. you have... im sure its there somewhere.
hope this helps you.....
2006-08-16 04:12:51 · answer #6 · answered by srlfhp1 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No it's impossible, 'cause as it attempts it one of the engine's cowlings will catch the water frist spinning the plane. Lets say that conditions are "just" right and both cowlings touch at the same time, then the wing wound be ripped and disaster soon follows by ripping the main cabin, in an exploding type of break.
2006-08-16 07:34:01 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is possible with the skill of the pilot during emergency crash landing where no other options but to land the plane on sea.
2006-08-16 02:52:56 · answer #8 · answered by Sam X9 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Plane's aint built for sea landings, but ditching would be an option open to a pilot in extreme cases, no jumbos ever ditched
2006-08-16 03:17:15 · answer #9 · answered by tonybpebbles 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
From www.crisscross.com
1. I am unaware of any ditching of a 747 aircraft successful or otherwise.
2. In order to successfully ditch very good control of the aircraft is required...
So I understand this to mean it is possible, but has never been done.
:-/ From a 747 pilot talking about a 747 crash.
2006-08-16 03:25:24 · answer #10 · answered by China Jon 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's doubtful. Hitting the water at even landing speed would tear the plane apart.
2006-08-16 15:13:34 · answer #11 · answered by Me again 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋