Emergency Procedures: P-3C Orion

Ditching *Continued*
Disperse personnel as equally as possible among exits selected for evacuation so there will be as little congestion as possible.

NOTE

Ditching station 15, 21, 22, 23, and sensor station 3 are assigned to life raft No. 3.
Distribute emergency supplies among the liferafts, and tie them down in the center of the raft to prevent them from being lost in case the raft capsizes.

After all personnel have been evacuated, move rafts out from under any part of the aircraft that might strike them as it sinks. Rope the rafts together so that they will not drift apart and become separated, and complicate rescue. Remain in the vicinity of the aircraft as long as it remains afloat.

Emergency Jettisoning
If the nature of the emergency permits, prior to a gear-up landing or ditching, use up as much fuel as possible, maintaining just enough reserve for a power-on approach. Loose equipment should be secured or jettisoned through the main cabin door. All external and bomb bay stores should be jettisoned.

Abandon Aircraft Stations
Twenty-three stations aboard the aircraft are numbered and placarded with the ditching and bailout procedures and responsibilities for the crewman manning each particular position. Priorities for assignment of ditching stations are to be noted. All parachutes aboard the aircraft are designated with a number corresponding to an assigned station, usually painted on the individual parachute stowage locations.

NOTE

During a bailout or drill, personnel shall utilize that parachute assigned during the brief.

Return to to top of this page Return to the Main Emergency Procedures Page

Bailout Procedure
The command PREPARE TO BAILOUT is passed verbally and by four short rings on the command bell. The command EXECUTE BAILOUT is passed verbally and by one long ring (ten seconds or longer) on the command bell. All crewmembers will use the main cabin door for exit. When directed open the main cabin door. If conditions permit, set the number 2 engine at flight idle. Upon command of execution to bailout, depart the aircraft in a quick orderly fashion at one second intervals by grasping the door edges at waist height, placing feet together and exiting by pulling forcefully. As the body passes through the main cabin door push back and away to ensure adequate aircraft separation. When clear of the aircraft Pull the ripcord. Bailout should not be attempted below 1000 feet. If time permits the tactical coordinator will ensure launching of the channel 15 emergency sonobuoy and a life raft. This buoy shall be secured vertically of the forward end of rack f-1 outboard of the emergency water breaker. Ensure long life has been set prior to deployment. The copilot will deploy the crash recorder (if one is installed) prior to leaving the flight station.

Depressurize:


NOTE

Thorough conderation should be given to the consequences of scattering flight crewmembers over a large area of ocean without benefit of liferafts. The command "Prepare to bailout" (when over water and a great distance from land or surface vessels) should be issued only after it is determined that ditching cannot be safely accomplished. Bailout should be conducted with the aircraft circling to avoid widespread separation of crewmembers. The copilot will deploy the crash recorder prior to leaving the flight station.
WARNING
Before opening cabin door, verify that flight station overhead smoke door is closed. Stay clear of marked caution area when opening the door, as it may open explosively when the air seal is broken. Aircraft must be depressurized prior to attempting to open the main cabin door.

Up to table of contents Return to the Main Emergency Procedures Page

Bomb Bay doors Emergency Operation
In the event of an electrical failure, the doors may be opened or closed by opearting the control valve manually. A handle for positioning the valve is attached to the control valve and is accessible through a door in the fuselage floor adjacent to the TACCO seat. A two position selector switch, placarded LOCAL and REMOTE, is located adjacent to the control valve handle. This switch must be in LOCAL during emergency operation to preclude repositioning of the valve in the event the electrical circuit is reenergized. When closing the doors, the valve handle must be held down until the doors are closed and locked, as the valve is spring loaded to the neutral position.
The following procedures for opening and closing the bomb bay doors, in the event of bomb bay door electrical failure, and placarded on the underside of the control valve access door:
. To open doors:

  1. Selector switch......................LOCAL
  2. Control valve handle.................PULL UP

To close doors:
  1. Selector switch......................LOCAL
  2. Control valve handle.....PUSH DOWN (Hold down until doors are closed as valve handle is spring loaded to the neutral position.)
  3. Return selector switch to the REMOTE POSITION for normal operation.

Without hydraulic power
In the event of hydraulic failure with or without electrical power, the bomb bay doors may be opened and closed using the bomb bay door emergency hydraulic system. This system consists of a reservoir, handpump, shutoff valve, and necessary plumbing. The system is tied into the No. 1 hydraulic system. Controls for the system are accessible through a door in the fuselage floor dirctly across from the control valve access door. To operate the system, two crewmembers are needed, one to operate the control valve handle and selector switch and the other to operate the handpump and shutoff valve. The following procedures for opening and closing the bomb bay doors with the emergency hydraulic system are placarded on the underside of the handpump and shutoff valve access door:
To Open Doors:
  1. shutoff valve.....................OPEN
  2. selector switch...................LOCAL
  3. Control handle....................PULL UP
  4. Remove pump handle from its stowed position adjacent to the pump and insert it into the pump socket
  5. Operate handpump until the bomb bay doors are open and continue pumping to hold the doors open.
To close doors
  1. Control valve handle---Push down and hold, while operating the handpump, until the doors are closed.
  2. Control valve handle--Release (Handle will return to neutral)
  3. Selector switch--Return to REMOTE

Up to table of contents
Cracked Cabin Windows
If a cabin observer window cracks in flight, alert the flight station immediately. Try to determine if the crack is in the outer or inner pane and so advise the flight station. Standby for possible cabin pressure differential reduction and descent to below 10,000 feet. If crack is in outer pane or if undetermined, evacuate crewmembers from immediate area.

Brake Fire
When directed by pilot, crewmembers evacuate using all available exits (normally those on side opposite of fire). All crewmembers are to stay a safe distance away from the aircraft. It is preferable to stay well behind the aircraft. If a wheel explodes due to rapid cooling, the fragments tend to fly out sideways from the wheel. (A tire may also explode from the heat of a fire). Do not use CO2 directly on a wheel as this may cause it to explode.