In his job as a fish spotter, Jeff Luboff of Ventura, California,
routinely flies many miles over open water in his single-engine Citabria.
On the morning of September 1, he was about 10 miles off the California
coast when every pilot’s nightmare was realized: the engine slowly lost
power and after a catastrophic bang, it failed to support altitude.
Luboff was on the radio immediately with Los Angeles Air Traffic Control
(ATC) giving his location and situation.
Keeping a cool head, he ditched the crippled plane into the ocean. Upon
impact, it rolled up 90 degrees with the tail straight up. It settled at
about 50 degrees and quickly filled with water. Luboff was able to
scramble out within 10 seconds. With full fuel onboard, it didn’t take
much longer than that for the plane to sink in 1,200 feet of water.
Even though it was “a survivable impact” as Luboff described the crash,
it was his forward thinking that helped ensure his rescue. His preflight
preparations have always included packing on his airplane “a small array
of survival equipment” -- a survival suit, flares and an ACR Electronics
AquaFix™ 406 GPS Personal Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon
(P-EPIRB). As a 15-year pilot and a 30-year fisherman, Luboff said he
has carried an EPIRB for years because he recognizes the value of the
life-saving rescue beacon.
The AquaFix™ is a satellite-detectable beacon capable, when activated,
of broadcasting critical GPS coordinates with exact latitude and
longitude positions to Search and Rescue crews.
His experience as a fish spotter, flying thousands of hours 900 feet
above the ocean, has taught Luboff how difficult it is to see small
objects in the open sea. He also understands how quickly hypothermia can
set in if you are floating in 60-degree waters waiting for help. “The
ability to pinpoint your position is invaluable. Having an AquaFix™
means rescue comes in minutes and hours compared to a half a day or
longer,” Luboff said. “If you’re suffering from an injury or
hypothermia, the EPIRB helps rescuers locate you faster.”
Once clear of the airplane and treading water, Luboff, 48, followed
procedure and activated his AquaFix™ 406 P-EPIRB, a satellite-signaling
device of last resort, for use when all other means of self-rescue have
been exhausted and where the situation is grave.
Luboff had the AquaFix™ around his neck and tucked into his shirt. He
said its small size made it easy to keep it on his person where it was
at the ready. He then put on his one-piece survival suit with
heat-retaining booties, gloves and hood, and two flotation devices.
While awaiting rescue, he also set off flares.
Within minutes, an unidentified aircraft spotted him and remained on
scene until rescuers arrived. The rescue response was comprehensive. The
Coast Guard launched an HH-65 Dolphin helicopter, a 25-foot response
boat and a 41-foot utility boat from Station Los Angeles, as well as a
25-foot response boat and 41-foot utility boat from Station Channel
Islands Harbor. They reported seeing Luboff’s flare and recovered him in
good health.
LTjg Jeffrey Shoup, SARSAT Operations Support Officer, U.S. NOAA Corps,
said he was pleased with the rescue. “From our point of view, the system
worked perfectly. The pilot followed the correct procedure. He used his
radio as the first means of communication and then he pushed the S.O.S.
(EPIRB) button as a back-up system. If the radio wasn’t working, then
the EPIRB signal would have set the rescue in motion.”
Luboff said he’s glad he upgraded to the AquaFix™ six months earlier. “I
spend a lot of time over water or out on a boat, and it’s a comfort to
know that with the AquaFix™, there’s no guess work in search and rescue.
It’s sad to lose equipment (his airplane) like that but when you come
out unscathed, you’re thankful.”