Alive in the Water

Many pilots are averse to the idea of ditching in the water. Perhaps you have heard stories about planes flipping over and sinking with the occupants trapped inside. Some folks say water is as hard as concrete when you hit it fast, ripping airplanes apart. 

But, rather than relying on anecdotes or briefly analyzed numbers, we must remain objective, relying on facts supported by statistics, not stories. Let’s start by dispelling those first two myths.

Airplanes rarely flip over when ditching. The few that do catch your attention because they’re dramatic and, therefore, publicized on channels like YouTube.

Water never acts like concrete, but the hardness of the thing hitting it affects the felt impact. A soft human belly-flopping into a pool will feel the sting of hard impact, but the rigid body of a plane moves water molecules out of the way pretty easily.

As it turns out, ditching in any body of water has a high survival rate. Paul Bertorelli, ATP-CFII-MEI, has thoroughly analyzed the numbers at least five different times over the years and always reached the same result. 

Whether the ditching occurs in the middle of the ocean, near a shoreline, or in a lake or river, occupants get out alive around 90% of the time. That number might even be higher since ditching accidents without fatalities sometimes don't appear in NTSB reports.  

You may wonder why you’ve always heard that water crashes only have an 80% survival rate. This is where attention to statistical detail matters. 

You can ditch an airplane in the water, which is a forced yet controlled landing, or you can experience an uncontrolled crash into the water. If you crash into the water, the result would have been the same over dry land. The fact that the accident ended in the water is immaterial.

We’re not saying you should choose to ditch over landing on a conveniently-placed highway or a wide-open field. Rather, don’t fear ditching in the water like it’s certain doom. It’s not by a long shot. Sober analysis concludes it’s highly survivable, and in the moment, it might allow you to land without harming others or yourself by hitting an obstacle.

If you find yourself in a ditching scenario, here are some things to keep in mind.

• During your approach, don’t be afraid to change your mind from landing on the ground to landing on the water just because you think ditching is dying. If it’s clear that a water landing is less problematic than one on solid ground, go for it.
• Cinch seatbelts as tightly as possible and crack the door before landing. Do not release seatbelts until you’re in the water and certain the door is open.
• Your mind should go into extreme soft-field landing mode. Even if you stall a few feet above the water, the drop to the surface is much better than skipping across the water laterally, allowing your plane to cartwheel.
• Use flaps. You want to slow down as much as possible before contacting the water.
• If possible, land with a headwind component. Slow ground speed = safety.
• Landing gear up means you skip across the water farther, so look carefully for obstacles ahead, especially swimmers and waders near the shoreline.

Here’s one last scenario to cement ditching as a viable option in a forced landing. The ultimate dirt vs. ditch scenario occurs high in the mountains. If you happen to find yourself in a suddenly quiet airplane wondering if crashing in a heavily wooded forest is safer than ditching in a mountain lake, remember that the numbers give you 9-in-10 odds in your favor.  

You won’t know the right call until you’re in such a situation. It might be dry land ahead of you, a road under you, or a runway behind you. But, it could be a nearby body of water that offers the safest alternative. 

The important thing is to keep ditching in mind as a highly survivable option, especially when deciding between a high-skill ground landing that could turn into a crash or a low-skill water landing that merely turns into an insurance claim.

Know Before You Go