Originally Posted by
janrein
From Rich Stowell's book Stall/Spin Awareness, chapter 18 (re Cirrus and similar)
Paraphrasing further from that chapter 18: while standard certification requirements of single engine airplanes require spin certification and demonstrated spin recoverability from early stages of spin, these requirements were waved for the Cirrus and instead the Cirrus was certified based on the availability of the parachute system, allowing it an "Equivalent Level of Safety (ELOS") rather than fulfilling the standard certification requirements.
From the information up-thread is appears a spin was entered (by whatever cause), the parachute was not pulled (for whatever cause or reason), and the resulting traces sadly appear consistant with a continued unrecovered spin.
Quoted information is from 2007 and new insights may have been gained since, if so it would be interesting to know of. Other than that probably little more to expect until the report comes out.
FAA accepted the Chute as an alternative means of compliance, but EASA didn't. In total, the SR20 was stalled / spun 61 times before it was certified by EASA in 2004 - extract see below:
Spin Behavior
i. Test Matrix. A limited investigation of the SR20 spin behavior has been completed and results are contained in Cirrus Design reports 12419, title, and 15568, title. The incipient spin and recovery characteristics were examined during more than 60 total spin entries covering the following configurations.
Configuration(1)
Clean-Power Off ..........Takeoff-Power Off............. Landing-Power Off.............. Clean-Power On
Level Entry
1 Left & 1 Right.............. 1 Left & 1 Right................ 1 Left & 1 Right..................... 1 Left & 1 Right
C.G
Fwd(2), Mid, Aft................Fwd.................................... Fwd...................................... Fwd(2)
(1)All spins conducted at gross weight.
(2)Also evaluated accelerated entries, 30 degree banked turn entries, and effects of ailerons against the spin direction.
- Results. The aircraft recovered within one turn in all cases examined. Recovery controls were to reduce power, neutralize ailerons, apply full rudder opposite to spin, and to apply immediate full forward (nose down) pitch control. Altitude loss from spin entry to recovery ranged from 1,200 – 1,800 feet. Detail results can be found in the above referenced reports.
- Comments. No spin matrix less than that prescribed in AC23-8A or AC23-15, can determine that all configurations are recoverable. It must be assumed that the SR20 has some unrecoverable characteristics. In the SR20 proper execution of recovery control movements is necessary to affect recovery, and aircraft may become unrecoverable with incorrect control inputs. These spins enabled Cirrus to gain additional understanding of both the stall departure characteristics of the airplane and the necessary spin recovery techniques.