Cirrus 'Chute landing caught on video

[CT4ME]

'much slower descent than I had imagined...

As usual, the 'chute raggers on some forums are claiming all Cirrus pilots have trigger-fingers...

This looks like a good pull, as the area is very hilly and forested.

tim

[FastEddieB]

Just went over to COPA - 35 posts so far.

 

From one report:

 

"Cirrus says that, as of January this year, 85 lives have been saved when pilots or passengers have activated the system."

 

I doubt that any of those 85 are overly concerned about those accusing them of having "trigger-fingers".

[Anticept]

Just went over to COPA - 35 posts so far.

 

From one report:

 

"Cirrus says that, as of January this year, 85 lives have been saved when pilots or passengers have activated the system."

 

I doubt that any of those 85 are overly concerned about those accusing them of having "trigger-fingers".

 

I'd like to see the reports and conditions leading up to those claims :-).

 

I don't mind BRS systems being used, but I'm a bit conflicted about them too, in a way. Having them as an additional line of defense is great, but I do wonder how often that people decide to fly in poor circumstances anyways because they have said chute system, relying on the BRS as one of the first lines of defense? Chute deployment has failed before...

 

Regardless, lives saved are lives saved, and that outweighs pretty much all the negatives.

[coppercity]

Cheryl and I both completed our Cirrus Standardized Instructor training this past December.  There was a lot more emphasis on the parachute then previous training we had been to.  Thinking of the "CAPS" (Cirrus Airframe Parachute System) first keeps it in your mind even though you may not pull initially or for every emergency. The parachute is always something that should be considered during an emergency especially if there is any doubt at all of a successful outcome, even an off airport landing at our slow speeds can cause significant damage so the parachute may provide a greater chance of success.  To often the parachute is considered a last resort and is therefore pulled to late when outside the design limitations of the system. 

[GravityKnight]

Looks liked it worked out well for everyone and it really wasn't coming down that fast like you said (from the angle we are watching from anyway)

[Runtoeat]

Looks like a very survivable landing, even with 4 on board.  Reinforces my plan to pull my chute instead of attempting a full stall landing.

[mocfly]

I am surprised to see such a slow descent rate.

Anyone know what the Cirrus published descent rate is?

[CT4ME]

BRS says 15-28 fps.  BRS in a C172 says 21fps. Cirrus specs say 1800 fpm.  Varies depending on altitude, load, DA.

tim

[FlyingMonkey]

And how fast the seat cushions are being sucked up.

[FlyingMonkey]

I've been reading the Monday morning quarterbacking of this incident on the AOPA forums, Pilots of America, etc.  It always kind of surprises me how much derision and disdain some pilots have for ballistic parachutes and anybody that would use them.  It's a weird macho "you're not a *real* pilot if you pull that handle" thing, as if you lack any pilot skill at all if you can't (or don't want to) make an off-airport landing in anything less than "deathwish" circumstances.

 

Do these pilots feel the same way about ejection seats?  Is an F-15 pilot clearly a terrible pilot because he punches out instead of trying to land in a field or on a road?  This attitude really annoys me (can you tell?), and seems to ignore all statistical evidence.  Chute pulls are something like 95% survived, while the chances of survival in an off airport landings are *significantly* less.  Is the goal in an emergency to survive and to protect the lives of your passengers, or is it to prove you have "the right stuff" and try to pull off some miraculous feat of airmanship, even if unnecessary?

 

Sigh. 

[Ed Cesnalis]

A Cirrus is not and F-15 and a CT is not a Cirrus and a slow ultralight is not a CT.  Each has its own level of kinetic energy and each merits its own criteria on when to pull or eject.

 

Building deadstick skills is not risk-free but it is not reward-free either.

[FlyingMonkey]

A Cirrus is not and F-15 and a CT is not a Cirrus and a slow ultralight is not a CT.  Each has its own level of kinetic energy and each merits its own criteria on when to pull or eject.

 

Building deadstick skills is not risk-free but it is not reward-free either.

 

Sure, I get all of that...but why does anybody have to second guess an outcome that involves no injuries?  You might say "I'm not sure I would have done it that way based on what I saw," but how can you say "boy that guy is a terrible pilot" unless you were in the airplane when it happened?  Some of these guys act like they personally have to pay the insurance settlement on the airframe.

[ralarcon]

Sure, I get all of that...but why does anybody have to second guess an outcome that involves no injuries?  You might say "I'm not sure I would have done it that way based on what I saw," but how can you say "boy that guy is a terrible pilot" unless you were in the airplane when it happened?  Some of these guys act like they personally have to pay the insurance settlement on the airframe.

Remember when airbags on automobiles came out. Most people were afraid that one would pop and kill them or prevent them from taking appropriate evasive action during an MVA. Suspect same type of mentality. New is scary.

 

Cheers

 

PS, how was your trip to Sebring ?

[FlyingMonkey]

Remember when airbags on automobiles came out. Most people were afraid that one would pop and kill them or prevent them from taking appropriate evasive action during an MVA. Suspect same type of mentality. New is scary.

 

Cheers

 

PS, how was your trip to Sebring ?

 

I'll let you know Friday.  

[coppercity]

More on the story.

 

http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Cirrus-Salesman-Pulls-Chute-During-Demo-Flight221997-1.html

[GravityKnight]

 

 

There's one feature Cirrus Aircraft sales people talk about a lot but had never demonstrated until Saturday when an Australian rep had to deploy the parachute while on a demo flight with prospective customers. Peter Edwards, 62, and his unidentified prospects, both 58-year-old men, took off for a flight over Australia's Blue Mountains, just outside of Sydney, when something went wrong (local media quoted witnesses as saying the aircraft was "tailspinning out of control") and Edwards pulled the handle.

 

 

...like to know how they ended up "tailspinning out of control"

 

Looks like it hit hard enough to tear the tail off from the pic in the above link. Maybe something else contributed to that though... 

[procharger]

Seems like u hear a lot about cirrus planes under chute or am I crazy??

[FastEddieB]

Lots of talk in the Cirrus community about this, specifically focusing on what seem to be an inordinate number of engine failures.

 

But there are a HUGE number of Cirruses flying a lot of hours, so it's difficult to tease out if the actual rate is higher.

 

And for every chute pull, there are many non-chute equipped planes making emergency landings all the time, many of which are unremarkable and often not reported, and others that end quite badly.

[Andy]

Better to have a trigger finger and walk away than not pull the 'chute when you need it and die.  During my last few years in the Navy, I participated as an instructor in some NATOPS yearly aircrew evaluations.  The biggest factor in crews not walking away was their reluctnace to hit the silk (ejection seats) when they knew they needed to; the delay would mean when they did, it was too late for the chutes to save them. There is risk in any chute pull; but the earlier you make the decision, the better your chances are of walking away.

 

Our term for using the seats was "giving the airplane back to the taxpayers"....

[Ian]

There's been an interesting (well long!) discussion going on the PilotPrune site on the subject of parachute usage:

http://www.pprune.org/private-flying/501879-most-unnecessary-chute-pull-ever.html

I put one post one which gives my view of the issue