Another Norseman...gone

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pelmet
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Another Norseman...gone

Post by pelmet »

C-FENB, a float-equipped Noorduyn UC-64A aircraft operated by Wings Over Kississing, was
conducting a flight from Thompson (CKD6), MB to Big Sand Lake, MB with only the pilot on board.
During a glassy water landing, the aircraft impacted the water. Both pontoons failed, and the
aircraft sank almost immediately. With difficulty, the pilot was able to exit the right hand rear door
after unhooking some cargo netting, and swam to a damaged pontoon. Subsequently, the pilot was
rescued by a boat. The aircraft was submerged and sustained substantial damage. The pilot
received minor injuries.
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C-GGGQ
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Re: Another Norseman...gone

Post by C-GGGQ »

That's a shame, at least only minor injuries. Impacted is probably just correct terminology but sounds like a hard hit. Could you actually belly flop hard enough to break both floats or is a defect more likely (old age etc?)
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Spandau
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Re: Another Norseman...gone

Post by Spandau »

Hitting water the wrong way is just as abrupt as hitting concrete, and glassy water landings have been wrecking airplanes since the days of Glenn Curtiss. I would doubt age or fatigue played any part in the accident - just my opinion.
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Re: Another Norseman...gone

Post by C-GGGQ »

Ok I figured, but didn't know how wrong it had to go (relatively easy vs very difficult) to destroy a float, but both going obviously sounds like a misjudged landing.
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corethatthermal
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Re: Another Norseman...gone

Post by corethatthermal »

If the lake is small, a glassy landing is a little easier and a little harder. You have more peripheral clues to set up the final inst approach lower BUT you cannot mess that up or you go into the trees! A 150-300 FPM descent rate is about ideal and produces a FIRM touchdown but not enough to incur any damage. On a small lake , you do a normal approach , then immediately at low altitude set up for a glassy with your known pitch and power settings, basically lock the pitch control after that and WAIT !
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Mick G
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Re: Another Norseman...gone

Post by Mick G »

I find this subject line misleading, it may end up being a future project for someone, I wouldn't say it is gone for good
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switchflicker
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Re: Another Norseman...gone

Post by switchflicker »

Yeah, Gone is such a nasty word.
Temporarily drowned would be so much nicer.
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Meatservo
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Re: Another Norseman...gone

Post by Meatservo »

I know this isn't true for everyone, but for me, over 20 years of commercial float-flying from little Cessnas, Caravans, Otters, Beavers and Twin Otters all over Canada; every glassy water landing gave me a slightly elevated heart-rate. Never bunged one up but never approached the situation casually, either. The worst one I can remember was trying to land a Twin Otter on a perfectly circular lake. At that point I was kind of new on the machine and found the CAP floats required an approach attitude I wasn't wholly familiar with. I took three tries at this lake. Its perfectly circular shape meant no shoreline in my peripheral vision and the only thing I could see after passing over the beach was the camp on the opposite shore coming up fast. On the second go-around, I must have actually touched without realizing it because when I circled back around there was a wake on the water and I quickly came back and landed on that. The boys at the camp thought I had deliberately been "buzzing" them...

Of course, I became confident at glassy landings in the Twin, but always treated it as an "instrument" procedure, although of course it's almost the opposite- you can see out the window perfectly well until AFTER minimums...then you're blind.

Anyway, glad the Norseman pilot wasn't hurt. It must have been an extremely shocking event. Glad he was able to get out, and like you guys say, someone will probably fish out the plane and bring her back. Hopefully.
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C.W.E.
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Re: Another Norseman...gone

Post by C.W.E. »

Anyone here ever have a dead battery when flying the Norseman and have to hand crank that beast with the inertial starter?

For sure it really made a racket when taking off and it also took a long run on the water if it was loaded and no or very little wind
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beechnut
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Re: Another Norseman...gone

Post by beechnut »

It's gone and won't be back
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sunk
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Re: Another Norseman...gone

Post by sunk »

I have pictures of the accident while in the water and after the recovery, it will never fly again.
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Re: Another Norseman...gone

Post by PilotDAR »

but sounds like a hard hit. Could you actually belly flop hard enough to break both floats
Yes, and many bones too.
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corethatthermal
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Re: Another Norseman...gone

Post by corethatthermal »

Speaking of bones, I broke a few in my arm very recently, while hang gliding on a perfectly good and safe day . I wrote up a post briefing letter if anyone is interested. The accident sequence started about 2 years prior !!! Reading accident reports are quite interesting for me especially seeing the swiss cheese holes lining up and nothing being done about it! My accident was typically the same swiss cheese model and not a great pleasure to write the report about !
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Re: Another Norseman...gone

Post by Siddley Hawker »

...The pilot received minor injuries.
The pilot hurt his back. Lest anyone think it couldn't happen to me, this has a load of time on floats on everything from Cessnas to the Beech 18 and Mallard.
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pelmet
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Re: Another Norseman...gone

Post by pelmet »

Siddley Hawker wrote: Mon Jul 15, 2019 8:35 pm
...The pilot received minor injuries.
The pilot hurt his back. Lest anyone think it couldn't happen to me, this has a load of time on floats on everything from Cessnas to the Beech 18 and Mallard.
If you hear anything more, let us know. Maybe there was an issue with the aircraft.
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corethatthermal
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Re: Another Norseman...gone

Post by corethatthermal »

Has anyone in the float world tried backside power approaches to a glassy then transition to front side approach by adding power and be immediately onto the glassy approach profile for your A/C ?
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Re: Another Norseman...gone

Post by Meatservo »

corethatthermal wrote: Tue Jul 16, 2019 8:06 am Has anyone in the float world tried backside power approaches to a glassy then transition to front side approach by adding power and be immediately onto the glassy approach profile for your A/C ?
No.
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Re: Another Norseman...gone

Post by PilotDAR »

Has anyone in the float world tried backside power approaches to a glassy then transition to front side approach by adding power and be immediately onto the glassy approach profile for your A/C ?
No.
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phillyfan
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Re: Another Norseman...gone

Post by phillyfan »

Wtf does that even mean?
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Re: Another Norseman...gone

Post by C-GGGQ »

phillyfan wrote: Tue Jul 16, 2019 1:44 pm Wtf does that even mean?
Ok good not just me. Thought this was some mystic float pilot knowledge not available to us mortals.
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