Surviving a Forced Landing in the Bush
A Vector story about a pilot who flew into the wrong valley in deteriorating weather and survived a bush forced landing; read the full article for the lessons.
1 min readKapiti Aero Club safety team
From CAA Vector: after a forced landing in the bush, this pilot did three things that made the difference between survival and possible death.
It was the end of a successful winter hunting weekend in the Kaimanawa Forest Park. The pilot – whom Vector calls John – his dog, his sister and their hunting buddy boarded John's Cessna 172, bound for home.
John (PPL, with around 600 hours at the time) had already flown some of their gear out. As they prepared for their final departure mid-afternoon, he noticed the weather deteriorating more quickly than expected. He decided they would head for Tūrangi rather than Taupō or Taihape.
"It was a routine flight, operating in an area I know well," John says.
"Coming out with the second load and my passengers, visibility seemed not too bad. I came through the trickiest part to navigate, but then there are two valleys with similar headings – and I flew into the wrong one."
Read the full story in CAA Vector magazine to find out what happened next, and the three things that made the difference.