Cirrus BRS ineffective?
 

Yet another Cirrus Crash, this one apparently due to weather.
I'm just wondering how come they didn't pull the chute handle ?

http://www.katc.com/Global/story.asp?S=5590691

Cirrus SR-22 crash follow-up
 

Here's is another link to that crash, a Sports celebrity ...

http://www.whowon.com/sresults.asp?S...StoryID=207561

Reading those news posts, it sounds like you got the title wrong and it should be "pilot training ineffective" ?

G

Deploying the BRS almost guarantees that the airframe will have to be written off. I'd be willing to bet that this has played a factor in some of the crashes where there hasn't been an attempt to activate the 'chute.

Perhaps the pilot was too busy checking their insurance policy...... Got to the small print at the bottom, Ah!....paragraph about BRS chutes...... Splat!!!
Too late.


I heard about one that was used in anger. The aircraft still plummeted at a high rate even on the chute. Both occupants had broken legs when the Cirrus thumped down. Ouch!

I wonder if it is better to wear a parachute instead?

For the pilot, maybe. But for the passengers ? Bailing out 4 persons would not give everyone a chance, I suppose. And in a Mooney, PA28 etc. you can be lucky if you get half the people out of that one single door.

Safety parachutes cannot be compared to the stuff, skydivers are using. The chance to survive the collision with the planet unhurt is really small. All Pilots I know who have bailed out with a rescue parachute had at least a broken ankle.

Anway, statistics for glider pilots wearing parachutes, compared with high performance microlights with an integrated chute, show at least twice the chance of survival for the pilot chute. But statistics, especially on such rare and not comparable events are allways a problem. Maybe after 50 years in service we may rate the value of a built in BRS chute. The first 3 times a Martin-Baker was used were fatal. If it would have been stopped after that, about 1000 pilots would not have been safed later.

I believe BRS has done a great job on the Cirrus, but even they cannot trick physics. You can not develop a chute that opens very quickly at low speed/altitude and opens very gently at high speed. An even if it would, what about high speed/low altitude? There will always be a certain percentage of fatal accidents, where even the best system can not help. And with more than 3000 Cirrus around now, the chance of one crashing is of course high.

Volume

Agree your points. However your stats are a bit wobbly. The first Martin Baker use was Flt Lt J O Lancaster from the AW52 on 30 May 1949 and was successful. They have saved 7170 to date.

Volume,

I take your point about getting four people out with parachutes. Would be a good bundle for that single door on a Pa28! Could say the same about 200 people bailing out of 8 exits on a airliner too.

My point is a little more simple. 1 pilot to escape, is he better off jumping out with a parachute or staying in the plane and using the BRS?

Two volunteers please!

Have got one of these Cirrus SR20's. The wing is very sensitive to contamination. Fly in the rain and you lose 10kts IAS. I wouldn't like to play test pilot in icing.