• xantoxis@lemmy.world
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    7 months ago

    Not really sure what “water ditching” means but I assume that’s any time the airplane ends up in the water instead of on land?

    If that’s a case, then there’s definitely the type of water ditching where the plane angles into the water at full speed, and I don’t think that’s gonna have 80%

    • Captain Aggravated@sh.itjust.works
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      7 months ago

      Flight instructor here: “ditching” is the technical term for landing a land plane on water. Here’s the procedure from the Pilots Operating Handbook of a Cessna 172S:

    • titus_w_blotter@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      I’m pretty sure by “type of ditching” OP means the water conditions. Ditching near the beach is often safer a roadway landing. The least safe is ditching in rough seas in the middle of the ocean, but even that has a surprisingly high survival rate. Pilots don’t always know this, and sometimes give up, not knowing that if they glide the airplane carefully down to the water, their chances of living are pretty good.