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Just for context: Without a parachute, these conditions (open ocean, 9-12 foot seas) are hard to survive, right?



Not really. The Cessna had no parachute, and the statistics seem to imply that most pilots ditch successfully. See e.g. http://www.equipped.org/ditchingmyths.htm

If anything, it's surviving in the water that is difficult, especially in cold waters.


Thanks. My cursory googling did not turn up any actual rate statistics.


I'm sure there are stats out there...I remember reading a TSB report a while ago (we have a lot of floatplane accidents up here in Canada).

As long as you're wearing a shoulder harness, the main risk is drowning after the ditching. To have a good chance of surviving, you need to be already wearing a lifevest, know how to open the door underwater by memory, and then be able to get out. You can do an underwater egress course, which helps increase the odds.


"I'm sure there are stats out there"

(The link supplied by @lutorm contained some stats.)




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