CAPS deployment caught on camera near FYV

I'm thinking of the Bonanza that lost the engine in IMC a couple of months ago and killed three. Pilot did everything right, stayed calm talking to ATC, but when he broke out of the clouds at less than 700' AGL there was nothing else he could do except ride it down.

How about the crash on the freeway after engine failure at Peachtree? Four dead.

I don't get the "Yeah, but" arguments about CAPS.
 
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3393RP said:
I'm thinking of the Bonanza that lost the engine in IMC a couple of months ago and killed a father and daughter. He did everything right, stayed calm talking to ATC, but when he broke out of the clouds at less than 700' AGL there was nothing else he could do except ride it down.

How about the crash on the freeway after engine failure at Peachtree? Four dead.

I don't get the "Yeah, but" arguments about CAPS.
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What's funny is that I haven't heard anyone say anything but good things about ballistic parachutes. What I HAVE heard (which is completely different) is a discussion of why and when you should pull the rocket handle.

WRT this specific incident, until we hear the whole story it's hard to make any definitive statements, but I think the general feel of the group can be summed up with these few questions:

1. Why did he give up precious altitude, steeply diving the aircraft?

2. Why did he deploy the chute when he was at 2000' AGL just 3 miles from the runway, and the engine was still making power?

3. Why did he not declare an emergency?

If you listen to the tape, the guy is completely calm and cool. To me, he sounds like an experienced pilot heading to the closest airport to figure out what's wrong with his plane. Something happened to change his behavior from that, to "Oh, ****!", apparently without the time to notify ATC -- but what? Did the engine seize?

I'm sure it will come out in the NTSB report.
 
Kritchlow said:
So... Should all airplanes. Have chutes? Would it be safer for my Airbus to have a giant chute?

Totally not being argumentative or "anti-chute", just trying to learn the thought patterns.
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Yes or maybe some large "Air Bags" outside the airplane. Just make sure they are not made by TAKATA. :yes: ;)

Cheers
 
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Jay Honeck said:
2. Why did he deploy the chute when he was at 2000' AGL just 3 miles from the runway, and the engine was still making power?
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I'm just guessing but I bet more like 750' AGL. I doubt the plane would have been swinging so much if it was 2000' AGL.
 
peppy said:
If you read a lot of pilot forums you will easily find an attitude of "real pilots don't need no stinking chute." It has lessened the last few years but was very prevalent in the early Cirrus days. Consequently there were many accidents where you looked and said "Why didn't he pull?" There was a more recent crash where the owner was known to be dismissive of CAPS. He had an engine failure but plenty of altitude and told ATC he was doing an emergency landing. All went well until the nose wheel hit a small pile of dirt. The plane flipped and the pilot and his wife were killed. The daughter survived.
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Sounds flimsy.

Nose wheel hit a pile of dirt, flipped and both front seat occupants died?


Here's a good flip, no one died.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?st....10153259166951693:tl_objid.10153259166951693
 
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peppy said:
I'm just guessing but I bet more like 750' AGL. I doubt the plane would have been swinging so much if it was 2000' AGL.
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I think you're correct. You can see the line cutters blow not long before the aircraft hits the ground. It's a 10 second delay from chute pull on G5 aircraft.
 
Turningfinal said:
I think you're correct. You can see the line cutters blow not long before the aircraft hits the ground. It's a 10 second delay from chute pull on G5 aircraft.
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You're right, and my words were unclear. What I should have said was "Why did he deploy the chute when his last reported position was 2000'+ AGL, just 3 miles from the runway, and his engine was still making power."

I didn't intend to imply that he deployed the chute right then and there.
 
If I had stock in PoA woulda, coulda, shouldas then I'd be a freakin' billionaire!
 
Jay Honeck said:
I wonder if he didn't pull the chute because of the fire? Anyone who saw that awful video of the Cirrus ablaze as it floated slowly to Earth might hesitate to put themselves through that.
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He pulled the chute because he was low to the ground and the engine seized.

The descent he did because ATC was trying to get him on the approach. Oops. Wrong move.
 
Jay Honeck said:
That's the first we've heard of the engine seizing. It's what we've speculated, but is that definitive?
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I went back and looked and it may be me reading more into things than I should. On the ATC recordings you hear the pilot being told to descend to 4000. Later ATC tells the pilot to maintain 3300 for minimum vectoring altitude if he wishes to remain IFR. ATC then comes back and tells the pilot again that he needs to maintain 3300 or else ATC will need to turn him. Then a plane reports in that he hears an ELT. My take is that if the engine wasn't seized it was at the least unable to make adequate power to maintain altitude. From the ATC recording it appears the pilot was being vectored into the airport but went below 3300' despite being told to maintain 3300'.
 
Hmmm...so does this go into the column under mechanical failure or "WTH was the pilot thinking"?

Good to see the save. I have to imagine that nobody wants to be in that situation. And to come up just a minute or two short of the runway. Glad nobody was hurt.

BTW, no need to bash the Cirrus. The ground and trees already did a good job of it.
 
1 year old engine (at the time) and fatigue failure of a non-rotating component? Holy Chinese afterthought batman. I'm just glad these guys don't make my magnetos. With friends like these, who needs enemies? :D
 
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