The International Cessna 170 Association

I carry 4 approved life vests under the back seat of my aircraft due to living /flying on the coastal areas. I was once directed by ATC to track 90 deg out from the coast as a heavy was on approach to a runway that was parallel to the coast . So I was heading out to sea at 1500ft [getting nervous], after about 5 mins called ATC again, I was directed to hold the track, the coast had disappeared now and after 3 mins again called them . I was directed to hold track and height . What was alarming me this was a VFR flight in a Cessna 170a aircraft and not IFR rated. We have a situation called salt spray white out . The horizon appears to be a white fuzzy band . So my next radio call was this “Marochy Tower , this is J** Cessna 170 ,VFR flight we are at 1500ft over water and can see the lights of Los Angeles when can we resume our track to Noosa . Then the penny dropped , I,was then instructed to climb to 5000ft and resume course to my designation. We had broken out the life jackets and was wearing them. This flight was on the eastern coast of Australia. I later learned that a Lear jet with a similar call sign was based at that towered airport and was used for training for Singapore Airlines.

Ghostflyer, I’m 7300 miles away from Queensland but feel terribly for the loss of that pilot and his family at Redcliffe Airport. As you say, the cause is unknown pending investigation, but are there lessons here? If you are going down right after takeoff, are the Mangroves preferable to ditching? What is your advice on ditching (obviously retract gear if possible). Is a 90 degree turn to remain close to shore or on a beach an option?

For years, I flew my 170 out of an airport in Fresno, CA that had a runway with dense urban conditions off the departure end (fortunately, winds requiring that direction were rare). There was nowhere to safely put down due to trees, homes, wires, heavy traffic. We managed by making a maximum Vx climb to a point where we could turn 90 degrees right and reach a large school yard (hopefully when the kids weren’t there). We also considered a straight ahead slip to remain on airport. Years ago, a FedEx Caravan lost an engine from that runway and was destroyed on a street (fortunately, Pilot survived and no one injured). What are your thoughts on the turn back considering your airport?

Again, sorry about that accident.

As part of the required night training for our sons’ Private Pilot certificate, we flew down to the Gulf Coast for a dinner at the seafood restaurant across the taxiway (The Phoenix) from the tie-downs at Mustang Beach Airport (KRAS).

After dinner, for the return to the ranch, our choice of direction for take-off became the topic…. Take-off on Rwy 12..?? or Rwy 30…??
Winds were Calm, Dark-Night to the Northwest…illuminated city to the Southeast.



In consideration of a possible engine failure after take-off …the discussion became: Do we prefer to be over a congested area with well-lit streets..?? and a well-lit resort-beach beyond…??
…. Or do we wish to be over an Unlit Marsh/Inter-coastal Waterway…??

Tracy preferred to takeoff to the NW. His reasoning being there’d be fewer obstacles in the Marsh/Water.

I preferred to takeoff to the SE. My reasoning being that a ditching in the dark waterway would have Zero chance of Notice or Rescue and a nighttime ditching in a high-wing Cessna with no equipment and no chance of rescue … was less attractive than an Occupied town with streets and a well-lit beach.

What do others think ?

SE looks better to me as well. You've got a nice highway (361) right off the end of the runway and a nice beach just beyond that.

I agree with SE decision for above reasons and better chance of a landing surface being more visible with the lighting. Great lesson for new pilot.

I am not going to comment on the actions of what happen at Redcliffe , plus I am not a instructor but I am still learning bits and pieces of aviation each day , but one thing I was taught having your wheels down after takeoff is a drag. And if you have to land in water have your wheels up. If you are in a fixed gear aircraft have your brakes on if you are ditching . That info came from a very experienced Beaver pilot . There are all sorts of variables that will affect you if you major incident on takeoff. I hit a pelican about 4 years on takeoff and it destroyed my inlet cowl. I had massive vibrations and there was bird bits and cowl bits hitting the windscreen. There was aural, and sight distractions but I also had a pungent smell of rotting fish [complinents of the pelicans stomach ]. I also had a psychological issue , I was very angry that another bird strike had occurred. So the decision making process was under a bit of strain. I ended up completing the circuit at 500 ft and landed without thinking of putting down the flaps. Reading the check list ,well I remember checking the fuel position lever, and the oil temperature and pressure ,and that’s that.
Ps. The inlet cowl was repaired using Kevlar instead of fibreglass.