Jan_Olieslagers wrote:
FWIW, here is an accident investigation report where a plane spent three weeks under the sea water before being recovered. The twin FADEC units were analysed by authorities so the data was still readable, but I do not think it was on SD cards. Perhaps someone can make that out from the photography. The plane was a Thielert-powered DA-40D.
The FADEC data are not in SD cards. They are in the ECUs (engine computers) which are in the engine nacelles IIRC.
What you can get from the (top) SD card of the G1000 (MFD) is pretty much all data displayed on the PFD/MFD, including position, load, fuel flow, engine temperatures, bank, pitch, OAT, heading, altitude… you name it.
In this particular event there was absolutely nothing wrong with the engine. Say no more.
- The propulsion problem reported by the pilot was not confirmed by the FADEC data and further examination of the wreckage.
3.2. Causes.
The cause of the accident is the setting of an engine power not sufficient to maintain the altitude, having the sea landing as a consequence.
(on the accident in the Rockwell 2-ROAM)
STOLman wrote:
On the morning of the accident the weather was not good (I did not see the actual data) but apparently marginal VFR (whatever that means)
The weather was VFR at Ronaldsway, but awful at Blackpool (my Dad phoned me to check it wasn’t me who had gone down, probably less than half an hour after it happened, when the details were only “a light aircraft from the Isle of Man has gone missing near Blackpool”). I immediately checked the weather report for EGNH/Blackpool and it was already showing IFR in the last METAR with low clouds and poor visibility (lowest layer IIRC was at 700 ft).
Later on that day a friend of mine posted a photo on Facebook from the back seat of his Dad’s Twin Comanche, and it was proper hard IFR – very dark, rain streaming up the windscreen etc.
There was severe flooding in the Isle of Man by the afternoon (including a bridge collapse with a double decker bus ending up upside down in the Laxey River).
Here is yet another very similar accident in December, this time in California with an unusually detailed NTSB preliminary report
I think also flying over the sea may lull people into scud running – after all, you’re not going to hit a hill while scud running over the sea. However, even outside of the clouds, it can be like IMC. For instance leaving Andreas on a trip, I’ve had to effectively fly on instruments once or twice on days with not a cloud in the sky – a bit of haze and the sea and the sky are indistinguishable until you get above the haze layer. Similarly, on an overcast day with less than perfect visibility the sea and sky just look the same out of the windscreen and you can easily end up inside of a cloud inadvertently because it all just blends together, and only realise when you look down and can’t see any waves.
Peter wrote:
At work we have to bake the chips after 16hrs’ exposure to the air before they can be soldered, otherwise they will crack.
That’s only to avoid damage due to the reflow profile, they would still work if you hand soldered them in.
alioth wrote:
I’ve had to effectively fly on instruments once or twice on days with not a cloud in the sky – a bit of haze and the sea and the sky are indistinguishable until you get above the haze layer.
Ain’t that the truth. Remember a couple of Channel crossings on perfect days – effectively on instruments, as there was no discernible horizon.
On the SD card topic: while I wouldn’t suggest to put them into the washing machine to get rid of unwanted pictures 
, they typically can handle water quite well, at least for a while.
I used SD cards that fell into saltwater again after rinsing them with sweet water and carefuly drying them. Might not work always though.
Flyer59 wrote:
sweet water
Do you put sugar in your water? Do you mean fresh water?
lenthamen wrote:
Just like many other fatal GA accidents, this accident happened in silence.
No Mayday was sent out. No contact with ATC.
No Mayday, but as far as I have understood he was in contact with FIS. They had him on radar and lost him at 300 ft.
Yes, fresh water, of course.
PS: Check Wikipedia. The term sweet water was used for fresh water as well :-)
LP5.
:-)
