Ditch or Parachute
- Thread starter Phileep
- Start date
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Greg Boeser
1st Sergeant
Every situation was unique. My guess would be if the plane was controllable, ride it in. If, not, and you have enough altitude, hit the silk. Fire complicates the equation a bit, as does the condition of the crew.
GregP
Major
Some airplanes ditch well and some turn turtle and head directly for the bottom.
I'd guess it depended upon which type airplane you were in when water was in your immediate future.
I'd guess it depended upon which type airplane you were in when water was in your immediate future.
strider190
Airman
- 31
- Oct 30, 2019
My impression is that if they were going down close to a US ship they would ditch.
GregP
Major
I think all nations would pick up a ditched pilot of either side, unless the ship happened to be a submarine. If they were enemies, they likely had information you wanted aside from the humanitarian aspect.
cammerjeff
Staff Sergeant
All I can go by is what my father said after ditching his SBD in 1944, never again! He claimed to have his belts pulled as tight as possible and he still bounced his face off the gun sight during the "successful" ditching. His nose was forever not straight after that. He said he ditched because his gunners chute had been damaged by flack. But I bet he would have ditched again under the same conditions.
He passed 8 years ago so I can't ask him. But I know he bailed out 2 times in A4's later in his career.
He passed 8 years ago so I can't ask him. But I know he bailed out 2 times in A4's later in his career.
I think overall it is safer, parachuting into water is dangerous too. On bigger aircraft the plane carried stuff like rafts and supplies, if you parachute out of a B-24 you end up a long way apart. A former poster here was in USAAF B-17 and he did ditching training before leaving for UK.
fubar57
General
There is another thread here similar to this one and I posted several excerpts from Pilot's Notes which advised pilots/crews which was the safer option. Its in the back section of most Notes
GrauGeist
Generalfeldmarschall zur Luftschiff Abteilung
I recall my Uncle (USN submariner, PTO) mentioning that they rescued more pilots/crew that ditched than they did parachuting.
It seems that quite a few drowned because of the parachute - I never heard why. Perhaps being in the water made it more cumbersome to get out of the harness?
It seems that quite a few drowned because of the parachute - I never heard why. Perhaps being in the water made it more cumbersome to get out of the harness?
From what RAF pilots wrote about parachuting into the N Sea or Channel as soon as you hit the water, the chute tries to kill you, covering you in silk and wrapping you in chords or if there's a wind dragging you along.
GrauGeist
Generalfeldmarschall zur Luftschiff Abteilung
I imagine it would be similar in the Pacific, though at least the water was warmer in the South Pacific.
The bulk of the sea rescues my Uncle's boat conducted, were off the coast of Japan while they were on picket duty.
And the majority of rescues were B-29 crews, though they did rescue Allied fighter pilots and Japanese crew on two occasions. One from a flying boat (which I assume was an H8K) and another, I think may have been a G4M or L2D. He never specified a type for either, just said "a flying boat" and "a twin engined job".
The bulk of the sea rescues my Uncle's boat conducted, were off the coast of Japan while they were on picket duty.
And the majority of rescues were B-29 crews, though they did rescue Allied fighter pilots and Japanese crew on two occasions. One from a flying boat (which I assume was an H8K) and another, I think may have been a G4M or L2D. He never specified a type for either, just said "a flying boat" and "a twin engined job".
Greg Boeser
1st Sergeant
My favorite story is a pilot's interview with radio host Al Malmberg about bailing out of an SBD near Kolombangara and being pushed ashore by dolphins. The pilot's gunner experienced the same treatment.
I think there was something about the RAF harness, if you couldn't release it straight away the water tightened it all up, and of course, not many people could swim at the time.
GrauGeist
Generalfeldmarschall zur Luftschiff Abteilung
In addition, they may have been injured to some degree, further complicating matters. 
My father told me, around the mid '70s, he witnessed a Me-109K wreck being pulled out of the ground where it had dug itself into in the final months of ww2. After removing from the the cockpit the pilot's remains (judging from the holes in the metal seat, the unfortunate guy was hit in the back by three 20mm rounds and afterwards the plane simply spiraled out of control till it hit the ground nose first burying itself in more than 10 meters of soft soil), what was left of the plane was literally torn apart by souvenir hunters. In a few hours only the engine block and the propeller hub remained! Among the pilots equipment, attached to the parachute's apron, there was a small inflatable dinghy with its CO2 charge. Despite the years and the crash, people successfully inflated the dinghy. Along with the small rubber boat, there was a signal pistol with a handful of cartridges, a lamp, a knife and some rations.
While it may have been possible to inflate the boat AFTER having parachuted, it seems to me that the odds of survival would have increased by trying to ditch the plane instead of fighting with the parachute cords while it covers you like a blanket pulling you under the water!
While it may have been possible to inflate the boat AFTER having parachuted, it seems to me that the odds of survival would have increased by trying to ditch the plane instead of fighting with the parachute cords while it covers you like a blanket pulling you under the water!
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Unless you're in a B-24
Another factor to consider is that one thing is to sky jump from a plane which is suited for this activity, another one is to exit from a cramped fighter, possibly crippled or that is falling out of the sky. The research on better methods to abandon a plane (i.e. ejection seats) started well before the advent of fast jets. Taking the chances with a controlled splash into the sea somehow might look as a better option, unless your plane is on fire or falling like a rock
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cvairwerks
Senior Airman
The question really comes down to a combination of the aircraft, location, time of day and total circumstances. As being in the water, autoinflate and auto survival kit separation didn't start coming around until sometime after WW2. Likewise, Capewells and shot and a half riser releases came after the war.
With the advent of operational ejection seats, much of that, including PLB activation and autoseparation of the risers when landing in the water, is now automatic. Lot of stuff goes on in the following 3-4 seconds after the pilot pulls the handle.
With the advent of operational ejection seats, much of that, including PLB activation and autoseparation of the risers when landing in the water, is now automatic. Lot of stuff goes on in the following 3-4 seconds after the pilot pulls the handle.
cvairwerks
Senior Airman
For those that are interested, here's video of a US16E seat test for the F-35. It's showing at something like 1/8th speed.
