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Cessna pilot is 'not sorry that he landed on the beach' despite two deaths

aircraftAlmadaBeachA month has passed since the pilot of a light aircraft made an emergency landing on São João da Caparica beach,Almada, killing two people - a 56-year-old man and an eight-year-old girl.

The aircraft was being used for training and, after the engine cut out in mid-flight, the experienced instructor took the controls and opted to land on a crowded beach.

The instructor has broken his month long silence and said today that he had no regrets and that he was following standard operating procedure, "I did what should be done" said Carlos Conde de Almeida.

"I have been a pilot since 1980 and I have been an instructor for 30 years ... what I did was exactly what they taught me when I was learning."

Carlos Conde de Almeida shows no regret over the choices he made, stating that he did what he was trained to do and followed what is written in the training manuals, despite his actions causing the deaths of two members of the public.

Suggesting he has no choice but to land on a busy beach in the middle of the holiday season, the instructor said, "When someone says they could have done it differently, you already know it's a lie."

On board the Cessna was student pilot Rui Relvas having a Visual Flight Rules lesson which allows pilots to visually control the altitude of aircraft, using several references such as the horizon and the ground.

Faced with an engine failure, as stated in the preliminary accident report by the Office of Prevention and Investigation of Accidents, Carlos Conde de Almeida had to take over the Cessna controls. He has no idea why the Cessna's engine stopped.

The pilot says he feels wronged and is convinced that he acted in the right way, "don’t forget that I had 74 seconds to decide everything, not 90 seconds as was reported by you," referring to journalists.

Both the instructor and the student were heard as defendants by the Public Prosecutor's Office the day after the accident. Conde de Almeida continues to be able to fly.

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Comments  

+1 #8 MichaelF 2017-09-11 16:34
Chesley Sullenberger ditched a fully-laden Airbus A320 in the Hudson River, without a single injury to his passengers and in so doing saved countless lives both on the plane and on the ground. He had even less time to make his decision than Mr de Almeida, and a great deal more depended on it.
+1 #7 2.Sugars.in.my.tea 2017-09-10 09:32
Why land on the beach instead of the sea...?
... the value of his 'plane, against the potential loss/damage to ditching in the surf???
+1 #6 Sam Unkim 2017-09-06 14:43
You always stick it in the sea

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TVOac0gpPc

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/footage-shows-lifeguards-rescue-hero-8230567

https://www.flyer.co.uk/holidaymakers-rescue-ditched-pilot-on-kent-beach/
+3 #5 Roy Carpenter 2017-09-05 09:56
Why did the engine stop ? On the day it was hot and humid - ideal conditions for carb icing at low power - it would be interesting to know whether the carburettor heat control was on ! This guy should be suspended from flying at all and certainly from instructing until these points are answered !
+2 #4 BobP 2017-09-05 07:52
POS!
+10 #3 Ed 2017-09-04 18:27
Quoting Roy Carpenter:
Sorry, but as an instructor since 1976 and a C.F.I. since 1984 I was taught and in turn taught students " in the event of an emergency first priority is to avoid ground casualties, second is to avoid crew casualties and last is to save the aircraft." This instructor forgot the first priority !
I would risk a ditching just offshore rather than hitting a child or adult. This pilot managed to hit one of each and now says he was "just following instructions." Well, the instructions are wrong, then.
+10 #2 Roy Carpenter 2017-09-04 18:22
Sorry, but as an instructor since 1976 and a C.F.I. since 1984 I was taught and in turn taught students " in the event of an emergency first priority is to avoid ground casualties, second is to avoid crew casualties and last is to save the aircraft." This instructor forgot the first priority !
+7 #1 Jack Reacher 2017-09-04 18:11
In 1980 Portuguese beaches were hardly jam packed with tourists. Perhaps the training manual should be updated given its 37 years out of date wouldn't you say Mr.Conde de Almeida? You made the wrong call and should have ditched in the sea.

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