Very very interesting PIREP

[USMCmech]

Personally I don't view the CAPS chute as a major asset.

Almost any likely situation I could imagine pulling the chute, a good pilot either shouldn't be in in the first place (heavy ice) or should be able to safely recover & land (engine failure, or a spin) or probably wouldn't help anyway (spin at very low altitude). A deployed parachute is no gaurenty that you won't get hurt (1600FPM impact, OUCH), and the plane will likely be seriously damaged or totaled.

It deffinately can't be included in your go/no go decision makeing. If you ever say to yourself "if anything goes wrong I can always pull thechute" you need to stay on the ground.

 

[Flyin Tony]

The Cirrus that crashed at WFJ, the chute went off when it hit the ground. From what I was told, I know the guy that was working in the tower at the time it crashed

 

[TrafficInSight]

Personally I don't view the CAPS chute as a major asset.

Almost any likely situation I could imagine pulling the chute, a good pilot either shouldn't be in in the first place (heavy ice) or should be able to safely recover & land (engine failure, or a spin) or probably wouldn't help anyway (spin at very low altitude). A deployed parachute is no gaurenty that you won't get hurt (1600FPM impact, OUCH), and the plane will likely be seriously damaged or totaled.

It deffinately can't be included in your go/no go decision makeing. If you ever say to yourself "if anything goes wrong I can always pull thechute" you need to stay on the ground.

I doubt the chute would entice me to fly through an icing layer but I'd have to disagree with you. When the fit hits the shan I'll take anything I can get.

 

[91100 100 set]

Of the fourteen or so fatal accidents so far, about half have been pilots with a thousand hours or more...one involving a pilot with 41,000 hours.

Nothing against "older" pilots (more power to 'em), but whoever it was with the 41,000 hours probably already had one foot in the grave...

 

[Mr. Irrelevant]

Not all though, I know a CFI i worked with who put one into a field when an improperly fixed fuel selector starved the engine of fuel. Just cause the chute is there doesn't make it the best option.

WMU,

I had the same thing happen to me when receiving my SR22 training(over a year ago). Except that I didn't run the tank dry. Noticed that no fuel was being used off the newly selected tank. Apparently a pin in the selector had broken and didn't allow for the changing of the tanks. This was a brand new airplane by the way. Probably had 75 hours or so on it. Cirrus claimed it was the first time something like that had happened. Maybe it's happened twice....

Mr. I.

 

[Cat Driver]

" Nothing against "older" pilots (more power to 'em), but whoever it was with the 41,000 hours probably already had one foot in the grave... "

Can you tell me when you would consider someone to be "older" enough to have one foot in the grave?

I need to know so I can know when to quit.

 

[avbug]

Nothing against "older" pilots (more power to 'em), but whoever it was with the 41,000 hours probably already had one foot in the grave...

Meaning?

 

[Cat Driver]

Avbug, I was only asking, tounge in cheek, when do we get so old we are getting one foot in the grave...

...I'd hate to keep flying with that handicap.

 

[avbug]

Catdriver,

That wasn't directed at you...it was directed at the poster who made the statement. I can't decide if he's suggesting that old pilots deserve to die, that the pilot was suicidal, that the pilot's loss is okay because he was older, or because he might eventually die...it just seemed like a really, really stupid thing to say.

Another poster had suggested that the Cirrus accidents have taken place because the pilots are all inexperienced, and it's not true...some fatalitis have been due to inexperience, but not others. Many due to poor judgement, but that's not necessarily related to hours, or experience, as we all know.

I'd kind of like to know about these signs of one foot being in the grave, myself. Sort of like one foot in the black, one in the green, or for those of us who grew up on a farm...one foot in a pail of milk. I supose the grave is more dangerous, because it's deeper. So long as we're not flying a cirrus, apparently it isn't an issue...

 

[Cat Driver]

Yeh, Avbug sometimes I am appalled at the level of intelect that comes across on these forums.

If you find out if we are to old someone should advise the JAR authorities to suspend my airdisplay authorization because it would not be in the best intrest of the air show industry for me to step over the edge in front of thousands of spectators..

Anyhow makes for interesting reading.