Float Plane Hits Boat

[Scooter G]

I've been in a float plane a time or 2, not sure the pilot had a visual on the boat. Probably checked for a clear path and then throttled a straight line before the boat entered the picture. Bad way to ruin a good day of boating. If your music isn't at 120 decibels you can hear the plane coming from quite a distance, usually.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyux-pMGIro

[bturner]

We have 2 planes on the lake my boat is on. They'll circle the area they plan on landing but there's a lot of people on the lake that are completely clueless as to what's going on. I love watching them but have always wondered about the odds of something like this happening. In this case the boat was in an area designated for float plane operation and obviously was oblivious as to what was going on around them. Recipe for disaster. Stupid is as stupid does.

[Scooter G]

An oblivious boater, that's a 1st. We probably all have more than 2 hands of fingers of stories to swap over the years.
It will be interesting to see what the outcome was. You could call out blind spot, but there were 6 passengers on the plane (screaming), and 2 on the boat. All still standing, amazing, and fortunate.

[core-rider]

From what I’ve read so far this incident happened in Canada and the area was specifically for seaplanes. The boat did NOT have the right of way which is not the typical rules of the road hierarchy. Also the boater was arrested for BWI later after the incident.

Im not sure if or why the seaplane didn’t try to change course other than hoping the boat would.

[MN Ryan]

That'd be an interesting call to the insurance company.

[Scooter G]

Maybe it depends on the Insurance Co, but I've heard they don't get too excited to write checks if you been tipping a brown bottle?

[SilentSeven]

There's some interesting incident break downs on YouTube from aviation experts. A few tidbits.

- air traffic control warned the pilot about a boat in the takeoff area. Warnings were not acknowledged.
- it's apparently quite difficult to see ahead over the plane's engine cowl when on a takeoff run
- There were two boats in the area, one veered out while the other continued into the takeoff zone. There is some thought the pilot didn't recognize there were two boats in the area.

Regardless, IMO the boat operator is an oblivious idiot who should never be trusted again. As a captain, you are responsible for your passengers safety. Full stop. This was easily avoidable with just a little bit of situational awareness. **** lucky no has died.

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