An aircraft similar to the one Captain Dominic James landed in the Pacific Ocean.
An Australian pilot was branded a hero yesterday after safely bringing his stricken plane down into the Pacific Ocean.
Captain Dominic James, formally a Cleo bachelor of the year nominee, was on a flight travelling from Samoa to Melbourne, Australia with a sick female passenger, her husband and two medical crew when it ran out of fuel.
They were due to refuel at Norfolk Island, 930 miles off the east coast of Australia, but after several unsuccessful landing attempts and his fuel gauge at empty, the captain took the decision to ditch the plane into the ocean. Then he showed his remarkable skill in guiding the plane into the water in pitch blackness so gently that not one person on the plane was injured.
Once on the water however, the aircraft quickly sank which meant that there was no time to get the life raft out of the aircraft and the pilot and his five fellow passengers were forced to huddle together in the Pacific Ocean.
Luckily people on the coast of Norfolk Island spotted the lights on their lifejackets and were able to help direct rescuers.
One of the first to reach the stranded people was Glenn Robinson, manager of the Norfolk Island airport: “They were pretty relieved to see us - They were shaken up as you’d imagine,” However he was full of praise for the Captain’s efforts: “Full credit to the pilot - the aircraft sank rapidly and he pulled [the passengers] together. It was just an amazing effort by him.”
All six were taken to hospital to be treated for shock and hypothermia but no-one suffered any serious injuries. The sick woman is thought to have fallen ill through an infection she picked up in Samoa.
Pel-Air Aviation who owned the plane were also quick to praise the pilot and his first officer; “Their professionalism stood out on the day and made a substantial difference to the outcome,” remarked Pel-Air chairman John Sharp. “They executed what would have to be described as a perfect landing on water. The pilots ensured that the aircraft landed close to the coast, close to rescue.”
An investigation is now being launched by the air safety regulator.
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