Originally Posted by
Pace
...I am not convinced of its use other than for a true unflyable emergency...
I am not convinced either & the idea of voluntarily relinquishing control of a flyable aircraft does not sit comfortably with me.
At the same time I am mindful that the statistics for off-airport landings following engine failure in a SEP are not comforting. From memory I believe about 30% of such incidents as are reported result in injury or worse to the aircraft occupants (though that may be skewed as some successful off-airport landings may not be reported).
I still remember practising forced landings with my first instructor & was in awe of his ability to slip the aircraft down to within inches of the ground & then with pinpoint accuracy halt the descent, add just enough power to fly in ground effect to warm the engine & then climb away. A few weeks later, faced with a real engine failure whilst flying solo, that same instructor was killed after hitting power wires on the final approach (see
G-BKDZ).
No matter how skilled the pilot, there is an element of unavoidable risk in off-airport landings which may be greater than we'd like to think and, in spite of my natural disinclination to knowingly surrender control of a flyable aircraft, pulling the 'chute may statistically offer a better chance of survival following engine failure, even for the highly experienced. This can't just be dismissed & is worthy of serious debate.
However, this thread started after a 'chute pull in a perfectly functioning aircraft because the pilot lacked the skill and/or confidence to continue to fly it. This IMO is also worth exploring further & to me highlights the mismatch between current PPL/IR training (this pilot held a current IR AIUI) & the capabilities of a TAA such as the Cirrus.