I have a friend who owns a Cirrus. The lower height limit for parachute deployment is 800 feet, though it has been deployed as low as 400 feet and was survived. There has never been a fatality when the shute has been deployed, and the system has saved 89 lives where the plane would have otherwise crashed.
I think the key would be to recognise early when deployment is required as it would be no use to think of it when you are already at treetop height.
Word has it that this crash was 100% caused by pilot error.
Last edited by cjc_td5; 12th May 2014 at 08:04 AM. Reason: Added a bit
There's bin at least one mebe two other Cirrus chute deployments in this country.
Interesting, when I was training my instructor was a bit negative on the Cirrus as he was one of the apparent many who say they are hard to recover after a stall. I have seen them in a stall and they do tend to throw themselves into a flat spin very very quickly.
He was also dubious about the parachute saying how you are essentially forced to use it. Otherwise if you attempted a forced landing without power and stuffed it up resulting in injuries there would be pilot liability for not having used all available safety equipment. I also expect there are some who would be intent on doing a regular forced landing (assuming there was a suitable field) rather than blow a $20,000 piece of equipment.
The Cirrus actually has a split leading edge on the which gives the wing two differing angles of incidence. The inside portion stalls before the outside portion with the aim being that you get a partial wing stall and still maintain control with the outer portion. Nice in theory, but if you proceed to a full wing stall you're ****ed.
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