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PA46 Malibu N264DB missing in the English Channel

Not much to derive from pictures taken now. The wreck has been on the ground for two weeks and was subject to heavy tidal currents in that area. It will be hard to tell what was impact and what tidal mangling.

Last Edited by at 04 Feb 16:03

The PA46 also has an emergency exit (on the other side of the fuselage), you don’t need to be briefed to open it, as long as you can read. (Not relevant to this accident itself, but maybe worth mentioning given the comment on the main door being hard to open).

Last Edited by denopa at 04 Feb 16:06
EGTF, LFTF

Ibra wrote:

Or 10 seconds before ditching? or open the whole flight?

Well exactly, any of the above are possible. I was countering the assertion that the condition of the door (which as Dave says is simply missing, not necessarily ‘opened’) indicates a low-impact ditching and subsequent egress by the occupants.

EGLM & EGTN

Understand the Malibu is at some 200 – 300 feet.
How deep can a diver go with ‘standard kit’ if you understand me?
Clearly body / bodies recovery is number one.
Assume the AAIB have aviation knowledgeable divers.
They will clearly want to know, by inspection, position of all switches, levers and knobs etc. plus door status / condition.
These basics need to be ascertained before any further activity.
Attempts to lift / move could destroy vital evidence.
Any views, after humane body / bodies recovery, what the way forward might be.

Last Edited by WarleyAir at 05 Feb 19:53
Regret no current medical
Was Sandtoft EGCF, North England, United Kingdom

WarleyAir wrote:

Attempts to lift / move could destroy vital evidence.

At least that is not the case for many investigations of airliners in ones piece under water, most investigation happened by recovering engine + cockpit + flight recorders for inspection but for GA aircraft, I think it is feasible to recover all of it untouched in one piece?

For airliners, they were able to get all evidences on cause of the crash even when the aircraft is in million pieces…

Last Edited by Ibra at 05 Feb 20:50
Paris/Essex, France/UK, United Kingdom

It is between 60 and 65 metres so well within the range of conventional divers using mix. I have dived around the CIs and with care with the currents the conditions can be surprisingly good even at this time of year. When the photograph was taken the visibiity was surprisingly good. Recovery and the logistics of working at those depths in the winter will require careful planning and skill beyond the ability of the majority of divers, but is achievable and possible at those depths, although whether it makes sense to do so using divers or remote vehicle and lifting equipment I have no idea.

Thanks Ibra and Fuji
Interesting that it’s well within range of ‘conventional diving kit’ – with mix.
Guess the method would be to use divers to put slings in correct place – having taken instructions from the aviation people.
Then lift with ship mounted ‘crane’.
Or does one have to attach floatation bags to at least take some of the weight.
Still think AAIB will want some cockpit pictures of ‘as is situation’.
If engine (heavy) was to break away (damaged engine mounting frame) during a lift it would disturb the engine control lever positions – important AAIB required info. I guess.

Regret no current medical
Was Sandtoft EGCF, North England, United Kingdom

The investigators said they have no need to get hands on the remains of the aircraft. They can get all they need from video of the wreckage. I guess all that talk on diving equipment has to wait until it is clear whether a salvage operation is opening a grave and recovering a sea buried is an exhumation. They said the body seen in the wreck was in the back? Do we have evidence whether the passenger was sitting in the back? Does the PA46 have club seating?

Last Edited by at 06 Feb 08:36

The news reports suggest an attempt to recover the body will be made today (over the next few days) and, if successful, then the aircraft.

I suspect there may only be a weather window for a couple of days initially.

The PA46 has a club seating.
Passenger usually seat on the last row right seat. From what we see of the picture if the door is missing big chance that the passenger is also.
I would bet that the body they found is the pilot strapped in his seat.
The PA46 is quite tight to get on the pilots seat

LFPT Pontoise, LFPB
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