Regarding the Cirrus, I say again, it is only because we hear about the chute on the news that we discuss it. Yesterday I read an AAIB report of a 206 which just flew into the ground in the Uk a while back (CFIT). You can read all manner of "PA28 - VMC into IMC" type accidents on the AAIB website, people seem to do it every year. Worse than stuffing up an approach is you get some idiot VFR only pilot who decides to press on and then gets themselves into the ****e. Read the sobering accident report of the chap in a PA28 who decided to ditch it in the channel next to a ship after electrical failure. The plane was perfectly flyable, he had enough fuel, he could have saved himself and his aeroplane. Very sad.
My point is that it is not remarkable if a PPL stuffs his aeroplane, but it is remarkable that a pilot saves 4 lives by using a chute to bring his aeroplane down to earth.