'PLANE' LUCKY: pilot and passenger walk away from crash
Engine failure in a Cirrus at 5000 ft, day VMC, over a dream-field for a forced landing (check out picture No. 3): would you have pulled the chute?
Going back to the opening post and answering the question as a Cirrus owner & Pilot the answer is YES I would have pulled the chute.
The reason being because I would have in my opinion a 99% chance of survival for me and my passenger.
In an unknown surface with possible ruts, ditches, wires, tree stumps etc I have no idea at the real chances of survival and no injury but in my opinion could be around 75% - 80% chance of no serious injury or death. Maybe more maybe less, I do not know.
What I do know is that a Cirrus with small wheels, relatively high landing speed and high inertia at landing speed is no fun on a rough unknown surface. In this situation also has a high chance of flipping over. If under the stress of a forced landing I nail speeds and touch down point perfectly (which is unlikely) then the landing surface is still a complete lottery.
I understand the emotion if with hind sight pilot XYZ got him self in a bad situation and should have known better, hell we all make mistakes, but where this guy was as far as I am concerned he totally took the best course of action and is alive and well to tell the tale.
Would you have pulled the chute?