Winter’s Chill
Treetops brushed the belly of the plane like hands straining to catch the home run fly. Settling into the trees the aircraft twists 120 degrees, one wing separating from the fuselage before abruptly stopping ten feet above the forest floor. The whine of the gyros and the whistle of the winter wind through the pines break the silence. Winters chill slowly seeps into the cabin and the pain of your injuries becomes evident. You wonder how long it will be before help arrives. You didn’t wear a winter coat or warm boots. The light coat you brought is stuffed in the baggage compartment. The last time you thought about an engine failure was during your Biennial Flight Review. Engine reliability is at an industry best, but the reality is they still stop running for various reasons. All too often I see folks traveling through my airport dressed very causally during the winter and they even comment on how cool it is. Engine failure survival should be on your mind every time you fly. We don’t like to think about it, but failures occur and the truth is you may be waiting a while at the crash site for help to arrive. If the aircraft goes down in a rural area that is heavily forested finding the aircraft may be difficult for searchers. If the ELT fails to transmit, the search will be longer. If you go down just before sunset, by the time rescuers are mobilized, night will prevail and you could be there until morning.
Wearing the appropriate clothing will help improve your survival chances. Think of it as another pre-flight item on the checklist. Make sure you include everyone who will be flying with you. You don’t have to alarm your passengers, just encourage them to dress warmly, because the heater doesn’t always work so well. They can always take their coats off, but they’ll have them, should anything ever happen. Remember, heat loss will lower the body’s core temperature and slowly rob you of physical and mental control, so dress in layers. Wear or bring a warm coat and keep it within reach. Have a hat available to cover the ears and head. Gloves too! Selecting a warmer boot or shoe that allows you to manipulate the rudder pedals comfortably is the best choice over just a pair of loafers. Consider keeping a basic survival kit in the aircraft. The kit could include a signaling mirror, pocketknife, and small first aid kit, signal light, wooden matches in a waterproof container and some energy bars and water. You can include some very lightweight solar blankets, too. Modifying the contents for trips with legs over more unpopulated regions is a good idea. Keep the kit in an accessible location during your flight for easier emergency access, not in the baggage compartment, which you can’t reach if you are flying alone and are unable to move.
Another winter concern is over water flight. Listening to the Westerly and Block Island Unicom frequency, I often hear single engine aircraft calling out their position and altitude. What you realize is their altitude would not get them to dry land if the engine quit. Now I am not a great swimmer, so the thought of this in winter surprises me. Lets face it, many of our flights are over water and we don’t give it a second thought, but how long can you survive in 40-degree water? The US Coast Guard says in 40-50 degree water you will be exhausted or unconsciousness in 30-60 minutes and survival time will be 1-3 hours. If the temperature is between 32 and 40 degrees the times are cut in half. I’m not so sure I would want to fly that low. The best way to not be a statistic is to follow the lead of those who fly professionally. Cross the body of water at an altitude that will allow you to safely glide to land if the engine quits at the mid point of the crossing. Operating at an altitude below a safe gliding distance to land without proper survival equipment onboard in cold weather climates is inviting trouble. There are many airports in the United States located beside lakes, ponds and rivers. With today’s powered approaches the pattern is bigger, you are further from the airport and reaching the runway may not happen if the engine quits. If water is the only option due to your position in the pattern, terrain or population concerns, dealing with the cold water will be inevitable. Dressing in layered clothing will improve your survival odds and keeping personal floatation devices within reach can make a difference.
Winter can freeze waterways, ponds and lakes. They can make a great landing strip in a forced landing situation, but care must be taken to consider how cold it has been and whether the ice is thick enough to support the aircraft. In February of 1982 a Pilgrim Airlines Twin Otter made a forced landing onto the Scituate Reservoir due to an in-flight cockpit fire. The captain had flown in the Navy out of the Quonset Point Naval Air Station. He was familiar with the many bodies of water in the region and new it would be frozen sufficiently to support the aircraft. He altered course and landed on the reservoir saving the lives of 11 of the 12 souls on board. The U.S. Army Survival Manual FM 21-76 reminds us that, “being positive no matter the hardship improves the likelihood of survival.” Being more prepared to meet the challenge of a forced landing can be as simple as reviewing a scenario in your mind and practicing power off landings. You will be surprised at the questions that will come to mind once you set the stage. What is my best glide speed? How far can I glide from 3,000 ft? What will a snow-covered field be like to land in? Keeping alert mentally through challenge and practice will enhance your safety in flight.
By James Cowley