I found this story interesting since I own the same aircraft involved in the midair collision. My partner and I bought the plane in 2001 because of the advanced features and high cruise speed. At the time we purchased it, we were pretty dismissive of the parachute, but thought it was in the ‘nice to have’ category. We soon found that wives and non-flying friends felt quite differently about the availability of a handle in the ceiling that could be pulled in the event of a catastrophe or a suddenly incapacitated pilot.
After owning the plane for 13 years and flying it all over the eastern half of the country solo and with the family, the parachute means a lot more to me. Over that time frame, there have been 49 parachute pulls by pilots of this plane with virtually no injuries as a result. What is remarkable about this deployment is that it almost certainly happened at a minimal altitude since the plane was in the pattern to land and had been cleared to the runway. Typically, we have been instructed that the minimum safe altitude is somewhere between 500’ and 800’ depending on flight configuration at the time of deployment.
DH is a pilot and we used to own a Mooney. We always kept our eye on the Cirrus and wondered if the parachute would ever really help in a crash. Glad to know it does. Here’s to you never having to pull that handle!
Yes, my partner and I have wondered the same. Ironically, he and I competed for many many years in gliders where the possibility of a midair is 10X what it is in a power plane. In competitions, I frequently flew within 20’ of other gliders in crowded thermals. Midairs happened every once in a while. We wore parachutes and some guys had to use them. I often wondered if I would have the nerve to actually blow the canopy on the glider and jump out of it if the time came for that. A guy I flew with had to do it once and I talked with him about it. He had never jumped out of an airplane before. He told me, ‘…when it’s time, you’ll know and you will not hesitate…’ LOL
In the Cirrus, I think that in most midair collisions, the parachute would not help as either the occupants will be incapacitated or the aircraft would be damaged too severely. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case here.
Regarding the Mooney, we used to have one when I was a kid. It was also on the short list of candidates when we bought the Cirrus, but my partner was just too tall to be comfortable in it.
I’m not a pilot and know nothing about any of this - but this spring, a plane crashed, just a couple of miles from where I live, in the mountains, narrowly missing a fairly verticle drop off… The plane was icing up and going down, guy pulled the shoot, called his family so they could call authorities/Mtn. Rescue, plane was located pretty quickly and the guy was found with no injuries. The cool part was getting home from somewhere and being in the right place at the right time - watching a helicopter come flying overhead about 2 weeks later with the plane attached to a couple hundred foot cable, flying it to an airport somewhere to be fixed up. Very cool for the kids (both young and old) to watch!
That would have been cool to see. The most scared I have been in my plane was an unexpected encounter with icing over Kentucky. Couldn’t maintain altitude, windshield iced over, lost about 2,000’ of altitude before reaching a warmer layer and the ice began to melt away. Longest 20 minutes of my life. I was by myself and I don’t think I breathed for those 20 minutes.
Usually, the plane is a total loss after ground impact under the chute, but there have been several that survived in repairable condition and were flown again.
That would have been cool to see. The most scared I have been in my plane was an unexpected encounter with icing over Kentucky. Couldn’t maintain altitude, windshield iced over, lost about 2,000’ of altitude before reaching a warmer layer and the ice began to melt away. Longest 20 minutes of my life. I was by myself and I don’t think I breathed for those 20 minutes.
Usually, the plane is a total loss after ground impact under the chute, but there have been several that survived in repairable condition and were flown again.
Greg
What is or was that magazine feature? “I learned about flying from that”? Those had some pucker stories.
We just assumed it would be fixed up - but would not be surprised if it was a loss. Was a very cool experience. Nothing like a helicopter flying an airplane!
That would have been cool to see. The most scared I have been in my plane was an unexpected encounter with icing over Kentucky. Couldn’t maintain altitude, windshield iced over, lost about 2,000’ of altitude before reaching a warmer layer and the ice began to melt away. Longest 20 minutes of my life. I was by myself and I don’t think I breathed for those 20 minutes.
Usually, the plane is a total loss after ground impact under the chute, but there have been several that survived in repairable condition and were flown again.
Greg
What is or was that magazine feature? “I learned about flying from that”? Those had some pucker stories.
The feature is in Flying Magazine. A must read for pilots.
DH is a pilot and we used to own a Mooney. We always kept our eye on the Cirrus and wondered if the parachute would ever really help in a crash. Glad to know it does. Here’s to you never having to pull that handle!
What is the deal with the forward leaning vert stab on a Mooney? That’s as distinctive as the Cessana push/pull Skymasters once you see one up close you are all ‘wtf?!’
I really think it’s just a design thing to set them apart. It certainly makes them more recognizable. The tail is actually at 90 degrees, although it looks like it’s leaning forward.
Live in the hometown of those planes. There was a lot of hype about the parachute when they were first designing the plane and testing it. After it was in use,our local paper always carried the stories of it being deployed. Pretty amazing. The novelty of a parachute saving a plane must have wore off because they don’t print the stories in the local paper anymore unless there was a connection to the area… I still think it is really cool. Hope you never need to pull it.
If you ever decide to check out the manufacturing location in Duluth, MN send me a note. Great tri training available up here in the summer (and some good races too).