Unplanned Ditching

You may think that you would always have time to prepare for a ditching, but that is not always the case.  The following is an example of an unplanned ditching in a business jet.  On 6 February 1998, a Gulfstream III VP-BLN was making an ILS approach to Chambery airport in France.

The weather was reportedly good but with visibility at 2500 metres and rising.  The approach to Chambery is scenic as it is flown along the lake with hills and mountains either side.  At 4 miles final the pilot was cleared to land.  The aircraft then took on a higher vertical speed and passed through the glide path as the captain had decided to touchdown on the threshold in order to save some time.

While the co-pilot performed the pre-landing checks, the aircraft went under the normal approach path and the captain lost sight of the runway due to a combination of the mist that was present and the sun. Nevertheless, he continued his descent the runway hoping to pick up visual cues later in the approach.  The co-pilot, who had completed his checks was also looking for outside references.  The aircraft struck the surface of the water without the crew noticing.  On impact with the water the empennage separated from the rest of the aircraft and the wreckage came to rest on a gently sloping bottom covered with mud.

A fisherman who was in the ditching area gave the alert via mobile phone. The occupants quickly evacuated the aircraft which was taking water. They did not have time to bring life jackets and used cushions as floats. Another fisherman, who was not far from the scene, recovered the crew and passenger from his boat to take them to a nearby port, where they received first aid.  The only injuries were to the hostess who suffered a broken arm, and all suffered hypothermia.  The full Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses report (in French) is here.