Trouble on Loch Ness - Miss Pick-up

[Jollygreenslugg]

Of pretty-much all WW2 twins, the Catalina is possibly the best-designed type to be forced down onto Loch Ness. It ended better than Wellington N2980 did! Although the Wimpey wouldn't have been around to be admired today, had it not taken on water there!

[Aeronut]

I would suggest until the operating crew specifically states that their intention was to attempt a take off on one engine, it didn't happen.

The big question is who will be the investigating authority, the AAIB (Air Accident Investigation Board) or the MAIB (Marine Accident Investigation Board)?

[Firebird]

Of pretty-much all WW2 twins, the Catalina is possibly the best-designed type to be forced down onto Loch Ness.

It wasn't forced down onto Loch Ness, it was already there, the starter issued happened when it was attempting to start up to take off from Loch Ness.....which has been made clear in all the posts so far........

[Firebird]

well looking at the pictures one prop is feathered.. there is no reason to feather a prop for trouble shooting or replacing a starter so I would think there is an ulterior motive..

having a little experience herding a PBY on one engine I couldn't imagine attempting it, unless it's a matter of life or death..

replacing a starter while standing on a sea stand isn't a lot of fun but it's not the end of the world.. especially when a wrench or nut goes "plunk" into the water to be gone forever.. now an engine or prop change using sea stands is another story..

I assume the aircraft is fully insured.. I somehow suspect if the underwriter was presented with a claim for any damage or loss of the airframe being caused by a single engine water takeoff "attempt" they would be very quick to send you a "claim denied" notification...

I can perhaps see why they gave it a go, if the water surface on the Loch had been flat calm, and with such a long length of Loch to play with. Inverness airport is only about 15 miles away, and from the end of Loch Ness, its only about 5 miles over land along the valley until getting back over water of the Moray Firth giving a bit of leeway to skirt around Inverness over water for the approach to Inverness which is right along side the Moray Firth.
While not in the book, and having a degree of risk, in the circumstances of the location and proximity to Inverness airport, I can sort of see why they'd give it a go just to see - especially with a 20 miles long water runway at their disposal.

[quemerford]

Thankfully a few reasoned replies here amid the armchair shock jocks. I'm familiar with the loch and the area and I can easily see why you would give it a go. You get enough height before the end of the loch and you glide to the firth if the other engine goes. If not you settle back down and taxy back.

But I rather suspect they were trying to get enough speed to start the other engine. That is what you might try concurrent with an attempted departure, or even prior to a re-taxy and subsequent departure.

The engine didn't start on those two attempts so they erred to caution.

Sensible. No need for shock.

[Firebird]

now an engine or prop change using sea stands is another story..

And from a recent tweet from them, that now sadly looks like what they indeed will be having to do as after investigation the problem is more than just the starter, and they need to change the engine.

[Firebird]

But I rather suspect they were trying to get enough speed to start the other engine. That is what you might try concurrent with an attempted departure, or even prior to a re-taxy and subsequent departure.

The engine didn't start on those two attempts so they erred to caution.

Photo's show prop feathered, so I doubt they were trying to do that, well not on the second attempt at a take-off at any rate.

[quemerford]

I've only seen photos of the prop feathered after the attempted take-offs so I can't comment on whether it was feathered during the take-off attempts or not.

[Mark Allen M]

Strangest thing! One of those photos seems to show something unusual sticking out of the water.

Hmmm!!

[Michel Lemieux]

Strangest thing! One of those photos seems to show something unusual sticking out of the water.

Hmmm!!

Mark.......surely! U must have a more detailed pic of this in your archives!!!! LOL.....

[ZRX61]

I'm surprised there isn't a place where you could lower the gear in the water & drag it up a beach given the size of the loch.

[Firebird]

I'm surprised there isn't a place where you could lower the gear in the water & drag it up a beach given the size of the loch.

When you look around the place on Google Earth, there really isn't many places to do that, most of the Loch has no beach edges, and the few beaches it does have are either no accessible for something big enough to drag it up, or the pebble beaches are quite steeply shelved.

I've heard that yesterday its been towed across the bay to the jetty pier at Temple Pier, which again looking on Google earth does seem the only place it could be lifted out of the water and onto the pier, which is about 30-32ft wide. Only issue is they will need a very large mobile crane with a lift capacity of around 12Te at a reach of around 35-40m and access down to that jetty for a mobile crane of that size is going to be a challenge.......and expensive......and as long as the jetty can take the weight of crane plus Cat.....??

But that looks like what they are aiming to try and do.

[Iclo]

Sometimes it could be very difficult to find a place to put a simple boat on a trailer and back, in location where there is lot of boat.

I cross my fingers everything will go fine.

[TAdan]

I just saw on Facebook that Miss Pick-up was successfully lifted onto dry land. Good news. Looks like they had the right team to do the job.

[Firebird]

I just saw on Facebook that Miss Pick-up was successfully lifted onto dry land. Good news. Looks like they had the right team to do the job.

Yes indeed, FB post says it was Stoddart's crane hire, and given Stoddart's past 'help' with such things of this nature I wouldn't be surprised if they have done a 'very special rate' to help them out of this pickle.....