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Aviation History
1956
1956 - 0145.PDF
FLIGHT, 3 February 1956 TEXT-BOOK DITCHING ... cylinder head temperatures were 220 degrees. When an attempt was made to increase the airspeed by feathering No. 2 propeller, the vacuum instruments became sloppy. Outside, there was no visual reference. The overcast hid all stars above and with no lights on the ocean below, there was nothing but solid blackness ahead. Just ball, mag compass and airspeed, for attitude indicators weren't enough, so again No. 2 was windmilled to provide vacuum pressure for the gyro flight instruments. On ETA 1830L they passed over ECHO. No need to check any longer. They could never make it to Lajes. Evans recalled the only other time he had come down on water had been to land an L-20 floatplane in Greenland—in daylight. Aboard ECHO, the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Coos Bay all hands were now in action. Almost one hour earlier the boys watching the evening movie heard the speaker blare out, "NOW HEAR THIS— NOW HEAR THIS—MATS 45569 DITCHING ALL HANDS TO DITCH AND RESCUE STATIONS." Commander Vaughn ordered all engines ahead full for ditch and rescue operations. At 1817L the Combat Information Centre on ECHO had 45569 in radar contact. The C-54 requested a ditch- ing heading and ECHO recommended 130 degrees; gave the winds as 230 degrees at 42 knots with waves 12 to 15 feet high, swells from 220 degrees. They recommended ditching parallel to the swell MATS 45569 "Rogered." Minutes later at 1837L the Coos Bay commenced laying a 4,000 yard sea lane. They used 20 depth charge markers. It took them only eight minutes to lay those floating flare pots. The Coast Guard cutter then moved into position 1,200 yards up- wind and to the right of the sea lane. They waited. Back in the C-54 cabin everything was set—life rafts, Gibson Girl, Mae Wests—«U checked. Jenkins and Braun stowed the Gibson Girl and life raft by the rear door. Then, Lieutenant Bowen helped them take a crew bunk mattress and place it against the forward cabin bulkhead. They strung a tiedown strap through the rings in the floor for a hand hold. They then waited. As the transport completed a dry run over the sea lane, Captain Cobb secured his navigator's stool and removed the astrodome. He grabbed all of his navigational gear and ditching equipment and went back to the cabin. Captain Evans gave the word and Cobb and Braun jettisoned the four emergency exits. The cargo door hit the left horizontal stabilizer with a terrific jolt. Up front the pilots felt the blow. They were tense, wondering just what would happen next. A big jolt, nothing more. Brooks had left his seat on downwind. He stowed the crew compartment raft on the front of the lower crew bunk. He checked himself and everyone else for ditching gear and climbed in the lower crew bunk behind the raft. The gutted transport now turned onto the base leg. Hodge stood up front and held the mike to Captain Evan's lips. The pilot didn't have enough hands for everything; both he and the copilot were flying the big plane now. MATS 45569 then turned onto the last final approach it would ever make. ECHO radar asked, "Have you power for emergency pull up?" Captain Evans answered, "No." Instructions com- menced for a PPI final. At 1900L ECHO advised, "Six and a half miles out on final. You need not acknowledge any more messages." Hodge now started to secure for ditching. When he finished, he walked back to the cabin and joined the others. Captain Evans brought the transport down slowly, a hundred 143 feet per minute, crabbing hard to the right. He dropped 10 degrees of flaps and waited, then 10 more and waited. Two hundred feet off the water he dropped 10 more and slowed to 90 m.p.h. Twenty feet off the water he dropped his last 10 degrees of flaps and slowed up to 80 m.p.h. ECHO was firing mortar flares for illumination at this time. Landing lights were left off. The last words from ECHO were "God bless you." At exactly 1905L both pilots kicked hard left rudder. Power came off and they were down. They didn't hit, they skidded. No first impact and then a second more severe impact, just a very rapid, smooth deceleration. The touchdown was so gentle— despite the water hitting the tail—that Captain Evans was able to hold the control column with one hand. Outside, waves were running 12 to 15 feet; wind was about 42 knots. The aircraft had weathervaned as soon as it stopped. It was now "bucking" like a mad Brahma bull. In the cabin, the lights were still on. Braun and Cobb threw the raft out of the main cargo door. They all held it in close while Lieutenant Bowen climbed aboard. Jenkins managed to climb in. Between them, they got one more man aboard each time the raft moved in. As soon as all five of them were on the raft they pushed away from the airplane. Up front, Captain Evans and Lieutenant Suggs had shielded their faces with their arms as soon as they had touched water. They really didn't need to for there was no jolt, no real impact. Try as they might, they couldn't get the six-man raft through the astrodome. So, up they went out onto the slippery back of their agitated monster. Flat on their stomachs, they were barely able to hold on. The Coos Bay moved in at flank speed as 24-inch searchlights played on the scene. The horizontal stabilizer of the aircraft was rising and falling about 10 feet with each swell. The flyers in the raft had drifted back almost under the tail. Each time the tail came down they managed to push away. They finally were clear of the tail, but couldn't return to the aircraft for the other three men. Hodge advised ECHO with the emergency VHF radio that all of them were out—five in the raft and three on the top of the airplane. At 1910L Lieutenant Ray Baetsen of the Coos Bay had the motor surfboat fighting through the snarling seas toward the downed airmen. The boat couldn't get in close enough, so the Coast Guard lieutenant had Captain Evans, Lieutenant Suggs and Sergeant Brooks slide back between the vertical stabilizer and wing and jump off into the water. The three were only in the water (67 degree F.) for two minutes. One by one the crew of the surfboat lifted them aboard. Lieutenant Baetsen then wheeled around and moved in on the raft. A line was secured, and one by one five more men were dragged aboard. Fourteen minutes from time of ditching all eight men had been hauled into the surfboat. Lieutenant Baetsen skilfully fought his way back to the Coos Bay. Finally, the hookup was accomplished. At 1942L all were aboard the Coos Bay. MATS 45569 was last seen still floating 40 minutes after it hit water. Captain Evans noted only slight damage as he exited. In fact, a bent prop on No. 2 engine and the loss of its rear cowling was all the damage he remembered. The aircrew was safe and deeply grateful to Commander W. S. Vaughn, Lieutenant J. G. Baetsen, Lieutenant J. G. Kearney, and the officers and men of ECHO. . . Through fine piloting, and with the munificent support of the U.S. Coast Guard, MATS had kept eight lives from the fury of the unforgiving sea. FORTHCOMING EVENTS Feb. Feb. Feb. Feb. Feb. Feb. F<*. Feb. Feb. Feb. 7. Institute of Transport: Informal Luncheon. 8. Air-Britain: 'The Conquest of Space in the Light of New Developments," by P. Moore. 9. R.Ae.S.: Section Lecture: "Propellers for Military and Civil Aircraft," by L. G. Foirhurst, MJ.Mech.E., F.R.Ae.S. Helicopter Association: "Engineering Aspects of Helicopter Bus Operations in City Centres." Three papers introduced by J. S. Shapiro, Dip.lng., A.F.R.Ae.S. (at 5.30 p.m.). British Interplanetary Society: Birmingham Branch: Aero- dynamic Considerations of an Orbital Rocket, by W. r. Hilton, Ph.D. . T .. R.Ae.S.: Graduates and Students Section: Flight-Testing of High-Speed Aircraft," by T. H. Kerr. 16. R.Ae.S.: Main Lecture at Yeovjl. The First Henson and Stringfellow Memorial Lecture, by Dr. A. M to"™* ™- T.D., B.Sc, A.F.I.A.S., Hon. F.C.A.I., A.F.RAe.S and Capt. J. L. Pritchard, C.B.E., Hon. F.I.Ae.S., Hon. F.R.Ae.S., M.R.I. 17. Air Transport Auxiliary Association: Annual Dinner, Eceles- ton Hotel. . , Association of British Aero Clubs and Centres: Annual R.Ae*S.: Section Lecture: "Design of Low Landing Speed Aircraft," by R. C. Mclntyre, A.F.R.Ae.S. 10 11 14 17 21 Feb. 23. Aerodrome Owners Association: Annual General Meeting, and Annual Dinner. Feb. 24. Lancashire Aero Club: Annual Supper Dance. Feb 28. R.Ae.S.: Section Lecture: "Use of Elementary Plasticity in Design," by A. J. Barrett, B.Sc.(Eng), M.S. in A.E., M.I.A.S., A.F.R.Ae.S. March 1. R.Ae.S.: Section Lecture: "Powerplants for Supersonic Flight," by Dr. E. S. Moult, B.Sc., M.I.Mech.E., F.R.Ae.S. R.Ae.S. Branch Fixtures (to February 24th):— Feb. 6, Derby, "Propeller Turbine Engines for Naval Aircraft," by W. H. Lindsey; Halton, "Developments of Ramjets," by S/L. R. C. Rogers. Feb. 7, Boscombe Down, "The Future of Air Power," by Air Marshal Sir Robert Saundby, Feb. 8, Manchester, "The Artificial Stabilization of Modern Aircraft," by Dr. K. H. Doetsch. Feb. 10, Brough, Annual Dinner Dance Feb. 13, Halton, Film; Henlow, A.G.M. Feb. 14, Bristol, "Aerial Photography," by Charles E. Brown. Feb. 15, Coventry, Lecture by E. P. Hawthorn; Heading and District, Lecture and Film Show on Guided Weapons by S/L. R. E. W. Harland. Feb. 16, Isle of Wight, "Operation of Turbo-Propeller Aircraft," by P. G. Mose- field; Veovi/, Main Lecture (see above). Feb. 21, Belfast, "The New London Airport," by R. F. Bulstrode Feb. 22, Weybridge, "Training and Research in the Field of Aircraft Production," by Prof. J. V. Con- nolly. Feb. 23, Cheltenham, "The Investigation of Flutter by Flight Tests," by H. G. Peacock. Feb. 24, Leicester, Lecture.
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