As with any aircraft the equipment needs to meet the requirements for IFR and without a standby AI it doesn't. Why you would make (or buy) a Cirrus without IFR capability is another matter, but as usual cost is a factor and doubtless some are more than happy to trade cost for equipment particularly if they have no intention of ever going IMC. All that said in an emergency situation (and as you appreciate) short of the PFD failing the aircraft has all the equipment needed to enable the pilot to recover to VMC.
Edited to add - it also had a T and S so even with an PFD failure in fact a recovery from IMC was possible but (and Pace will not like this) I think the current philosophy is to pull the chute if you suffer a PFD failure (well in Avidynes not fitted with the ability to transfer the primary data to the second screen). Continuing with the standby AI and compass usually found in Cirrus should not be too much of a problem but with just a T and S and compass (which are not ideally situated on the panel) it might well prove a challenge for most.
The report does raise some interesting questions about whether or not the pilot actually entered IMC. I have to say if he remained in VMC it does seem odd he resorted to the chute. If he didnt remain in VMC it demonstrates another example of the chute probably saving the occupants lives. For me it is largely academic to second guess whether the pilot should have got himself into that situation in the first place - there are plenty enough examples of pilots that do without a chute.
It is also interesting that it is suggested the chute was deployed at a far higher speed that ideal - never the less reassuring that the chute will cope in these circumstances.
Finally it is interesting the pilot attempted to use the engine to reposition the aircraft. This has been attempted before. I have to say I am still not clear how successfully. It is a shame there is not a more detailed analysis in the report (or perhaps I need to read the report more carefully).
Last edited by Fuji Abound; 26th June 2012 at 12:08.