This screenshot from the video below shows the aircraft chute deploying. U.S. Coast Guard image
The pilot of a single engine airplane is lucky to be alive after he was forced to ditch his aircraft in the Pacific Ocean 200 miles northeast of Maui on Sunday, January 25, 2015.
At 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, the pilot contacted the Hawaii National Guard and reported that his aircraft had approximately three hours of fuel remaining during a flight from Tracy, California to Kahului Maui and he would be ditching 230 miles north east of Maui. The pilot told rescue crews that he had a life jacket, life raft and his aircraft was equipped with a parachute system.
A Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules airplane from Air Station Barbers Point was able to rendezvous with the aircraft and caught the following amazing video of the ditching process.
At approximately 4:44 p.m. the pilot was able to deploy the aircraft’s airframe parachute system and safely exit the aircraft into a life raft, seemingly without a hitch.
Warning: Volume (Note: Not my music)
After the ditching, the crew of the Amver participating cruise ship Veendam was sent to rescue the pilot, who was reported in good condition.
Weather conditions at the time of the rescue were seas of 9 to 12 feet and winds of 25 to 28 mph, the Coast Guard said.
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