Preparing To Ditch

All kinds of advice is available from the FAA, manufacturers and other sources on how to ditch an airplane. In fact, the how is fairly easy—it can be summed up as “land in the water.” The checklist excerpt at right, for a Cessna Model 208B Grand Caravan, discusses the major items. (We added the highlighting noting Cessna hasn’t test-ditched a Caravan.)

Editorial Staff

Friday, October 31, 2014 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

While the act of ditching an airplane is straightforward ("land in the water"), critical preparation is essential for passenger safety and successful egress.
Key pre-ditching actions include removing loose items (like eyeglasses) to prevent them from becoming projectiles or snagging, and unplugging headsets to avoid entanglement.
Passengers should also open doors prior to splashdown if possible, as water pressure or airframe damage may prevent opening them after impact.
Post-impact, avoid panic by remaining securely seated with a reference point until the aircraft stops moving, then unstrap and exit methodically.

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Preparation can be critical, however. Here are some additional tips, focused on passengers, adapted from the U.S. Department of the Interior (yes!) and its Office of Aircraft Services (DOI/OAS):