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"Crash Kit" or Emergency landing bag

Do any of you carry survival equipment in case of a remote emergency landing?

I want to create a small explicit “survival equipment/supplies” kit, not for any oceanic ferry but for standard intra European missions comprised of mostly Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Croatia, Italy, Switzerland, Hungary, Slovakia and Czeck Republic.

Obviously space and weight in light SEPs is limited so I want to keep it basic.

What would you include in the bag? I am thinking of emergency alu blankets (it might be scalding hot in July but you can still freeze to death on a glacier), signalling mirror, compass, inReach or similar emergency locating device, a 15€ cellphone (112 works without sim card), basic first aid, maybe some flares, waterbottle etc…

Here are some links on the subject:
http://www.stefanv.com/aviation/survival_kit.html

http://www.aviationconsumer.com/issues/44_14/safety/Aircraft-Survival-Kits-Vest-is-Best_6683-1.html

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/menus/ps/survival_survival.html

I am interested in hearing your opinions on what is useful (given my missions) and contrary what only takes up space/weight and isn’t helpful or over the top.

Regards,
Snoopy

Last Edited by Snoopy at 11 Jan 18:15
always learning
LO__, Austria

A good quality laser flare (suitable for signalling to passing aircraft).

Don’t forget that an ADL weather device can send text/email messages as well as tracking signals

Frankly, in Central Europe I wouldn’t worry about an emergency kit, there isn’t really any wilderness left, although I know that sometimes downed airplanes are found decades after the crash in the Alps.

I only take an emergency bag when flying over the deserts / mountains here in the SW US, where you can easily be out of radar and/or ATC coverage at typical non-O2 altitudes. The most important thing of all is water. You can go for a while w/o food, but not w/o water. I therefore usually carry about 2-3 liters per POB in small bottles. Why small and not one big one? Simple – if a big one ruptures during a forced landing / crash, you’re done. Chances that 24 little ones all rupture are remote. Additionally, I carry energy bars (enough for a couple of days) and a charged (!!) handheld radio. When I was flying in Africa and Outback Australia I also carried a timetable of CAT in the area – doesn’t make sense to call on 121.5 and deplete you battery if there’s nobody listening. With a timetable you roughty know when an airliner will (might) be in radio range. The airplane has an ELT, so that’s taken care of, a cell (mobile) phone I have, although it’s useless out there anyway – no reception. Swiss Army Knive lives in the flightbag. Also some alu blankets (can also be used for signalling) and sometimes I throw my compass in the bag, together with an old (small) handheld GPS. Matches and / or a lighter. Lastly, some bandages to take care of small wounds. I also always get flight following on x-country trips and file a flight plan if going out across the wilderness, so SAR is assured.

172driver wrote:

Frankly, in Central Europe I wouldn’t worry about an emergency kit, there isn’t really any wilderness left, although I know that sometimes downed airplanes are found decades after the crash in the Alps.

Hmmm, you are porbably right, but I recall doing some float flying in Scotland and landing on a loch and billying hot chocolate on the bank. We reckoned it was a days hike to get to that loch from the nearest road. I have also skied in the Alps staying in mountain huts realising just how remote some of the spots are. I have recently flown in some really remote areas outside Europe and it dawns on you just how remote you really are.

Aside from the survival equipment mentioned it seems to me what matters more than anything in these circumstances is this means to call for help. Assuming you arent so badly injured as to be unable to make an emergancy call it is your best hope. Time may be of the absolute essence as well, however good your survival kit. With a bad injury you will not survive long in a hostile enviroment.

Sat phones can be purchased realitively cheaply as well as EPIRB’s so I think these are the key. You are far better off with a sat phone than any form of radio because it is likely to be so much more reliable. Many have a built in GPS but if not its essential to also have the means to give your position with pin point accuracy. At least then any where in the world you are likely to be flying a GA aircraft is within relatively quick reach.

Last Edited by Fuji_Abound at 11 Jan 18:25

Well, Scotland isn’t exactly Central Europe, is it ? That said, I get your drift and speed of recovery is indeed of the essence. Agree wrt a sat phone. People are far too reliant on cell phones w/o realizing that they are of limited / no use in remote areas.

Why would PLB not be enough?

EGKB Biggin Hill

Timothy wrote:

Why would PLB not be enough?

I presume you are asking about the communications part, rather than asking why isn’t a PLB enough in total! (ie why do you need water, blankets etc).

I remember reading a test on PLBs a few years ago. The test was focused on use in the case of a ditching. Some of the PLBs never got a signal out. Those that did often took hours to get a GPS fix and get picked up by the sats. That really surprised me. I’m sure for most of us, we’d be sitting there (or floating) thinking “Thank God I have the PLB. They should be on here soon!” and not realise that perhaps no signal has even been picked up yet, never mind located and S&R started.

I now always carry my hand held radio when flying over water. I figure that a call on 121.5 will both let someone know that I need help immediately, and it will allow me the comfort of knowing that the message has gotten through. It can also allow me to direct my rescuers as they get closer.

That of course is not to say that I don’t carry a PLB; I do, and I make sure that everyone on board knows how to use it.

Another issue highlighted on the Flyer Forum is that some of the PLBs have a plastic cover that you are supposed to break off (it prevents accidental activation). It turns out that it’s extremely difficult to break in the comfort of your living room (some failed to break it despite their best efforts). It could be very difficult to do with very cold hands.

EIWT Weston, Ireland

For flying over Central European countries I don’t really carry any fancy survival gear. In case of a crash one would rely on emergency services anyway. My “survival bag” contains: a bottle of water, an icom, latherman, a warm woolen sweater and a raincoat, last but not least some cash. For flying during winter time I would also take a down sleeping bag.
Of course there are other things that are either always in my airplane like a torch or a mobile phone which everybody carries anyway. This should be enough for any successful forced landing.

Thanks for your input.

Regarding central europe: There have been cases were pilots successfully landed off-airport or in a mountain area e.g. on glaciers however due to bad weather „help“ could not arrive soon enough and they froze to death or died because they fell on the way down the mountain. Admittedly this was before plb/sat/inreach tech was common.

always learning
LO__, Austria

I carry
- water, long conservation food (enough for a day for 5 pax, though it tastes so bad that people would probably rather fast), water tablets
- first aid kit from Boots (a chemist chain)
- survival blankets
- PLB, signalling flares, waterproof torch, handheld radio
- multi tool which can be opened with one hand
- water resistant matches
- a raft which can be used as a tent

EGTF, LFTF
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