PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Cirrus Chute Pull, 4 Survive landing in trees, 22/07/12
Old 29th Jul 2012, 16:34
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007helicopter
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: uk
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It does worry me your concern at a forced landing!
If a pilot stretches the glide and stalls that is a fault in the pilot or training.
While we practice PFl's on generally good vis days with a cosy instructor sat by our side (for most) and often go around at x 100ft it is a whole different ball game with the full on stress of a genuine engine failure, adrenaline pumping around and a host of other worries, plenty have stalled it in when trying a forced landing including several Cirrus Fatal's of Pilots far more competent than myself.

The difference is you will be in command of where you go in the air and even on the ground.
You will have a degree of control but massively reduced and if you do not like what you see as you get closer then options are minimal to say the least.

If the field is rougher than you thought you may damage the undercarriage ?
Or cartwheel, flip, bounce and still stall it in.

But I do not believe that there are that many fatalities or serious injuries from Forced landings as long as you keep the thing flying and do not stall out!
As above, you, I or any other Pilot could stall in a forced landing situation, how ever competent they think they are, it could and does happen.

With the chute pulled you no longer have any control and on windy days may not just have to suffer a high descent rate into the ground but also 30 odd kts forward speed.
Generally very true other than the rate of descent at 17knots I do not consider that high, the more worrying factor is a strong wind could as well as add to forward momentum it could drag the aircraft once landed, that is a genuine risk to be considered when deciding on using CAPS.

You will also wreck the aircraft while in a forced landing you may have no damage or minimal damage compared to the chute.
Various Chute pull aircraft have been fully repaired and put back in service but that would not be a consideration I would factor in to my decision making process. If I write off the aircraft so be it.

You may have minimal damage in a forced landing or you may have a dead pilot and passengers, the odds are to high in my book to be landing Cirrus in fields.

I flew over Kent today with this in my mind today and to be frank there were few fields I would fancy when you factor in those with high crops, steepish inclines, trees at each end, walls and sturdy looking fences, Animals etc A few weeks ago I would have added water logged fields to the list.

Last edited by 007helicopter; 29th Jul 2012 at 16:36.
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