Hypoxic SR22 driver's non-pilot wife descends and saves their lives

[gismo]

Im gonna get flamed for this, but here it goes. Most Cirrus drivers I have met are pompous, and can't make it through 2 sentences of conversation without mentioning how awesome they are. I've met probably 10 Cirrus owners, and only 2 of which I'd care to speak to again. Blah blah blah BRS blah blah blah Glass cockpit blah blah blah cooler than you blah blah blah it's so safe.

Well, you are talking about a group of pilots. I can't comment on your experience beyond the fact that it's very different than mine. I know several Cirrus owners and pilots and none have ever behaved as you described in my presence.

 

[gismo]

Then your FADEC craps out and you're really screwed.

I would think they would have some sort of manual revisionary mode.

 

[zaitcev]

I would think they would have some sort of manual revisionary mode.

UL Power engines have a good idea, too, I think. They offer an entirely different design for the redundant engine management circuit, so a software failure cannot reappear after switching to backup. I only wish they didn't forget to a breaker for the battery.

 

[Jim Logajan]

BRIGHT and SHINY.

Oop invent fire.
Bright and shiny.
Cook meat now.
All good.
Then rain came, fire go out and can no restart.
No fire when most needed.
We go back to not eat meat.
Oop leave us - join with Prometheus tribe.
Phooey with him and useless invention.

 

[Ted]

I think all that is true. That's why when people on a budget talk about buying an aircraft I think that simpler is better. The more complex it is, the more things there are to break. This goes double if they are older. Tony has the right idea flying gliders but they are not flawless either.

Exactly. And in reality, almost all of us are on a budget. Even when you get into the realm of people who can afford to buy cabin class twins or lower end turboprops, those same people may not be able to afford a jet. Even the people who can buy a Citation may not be able to afford a G-V.

The issue is that, for the realm of aviation, those of us in the piston world are on much tighter of a budget than those in the turbine world, at least as a rule.

 

[Aztec Driver]

She did. She too was not normal, + the panic. Think about what a steep his that was!

I was rescued by my copilot from FL 230 in the 1994 Aircraft Spruce race. The next thing I remember was, him asking for FL 190. My line had come apart. Redundancy is a very good thing; it's HOSTILE up there.

You just reinforced my point, Bruce. Things like this can and do happen to anyone. Yes, it could be a tank ran dry because he "thought it should have been enough." Or maybe he just exchanged the tank at the supplier and it was not filled. That has happened to me on many occasions (with different gases.) Admittedly, the gauge should have been a clue. But in your case, the line separated, and I am sure that you preflighted and tried to ensure the integrity of it, and still you needed help. Are you now including yourself in the wonton careless and reckless pilots? I would hope not. While I agree that the historical attitude of the standard Cirrus pilot seems to gravitate more towards the "more money than brains" end of the spectrum, I just don't believe this is one of those incidents that includes only Cirrus drivers. I have read of many different aircraft suffering these types of problems, and it is a scary situation all around. A Lear jet went down in a lake. A Baron went down.

And as far as the woman not being an able pilot, some spouses just don't want to control the aircraft. I have been trying for years to get my wife to take the pinch hitters course, or at least to let me teach her how to land in an emergency, but she wants nothing to do with it. I am wearing her down, though.

 

[Troska]

Well, you are talking about a group of pilots. I can't comment on your experience beyond the fact that it's very different than mine. I know several Cirrus owners and pilots and none have ever behaved as you described in my presence.

Lance, they are nice to you because they have twin envy. :wink2:

Tim

 

[bbchien]

You just reinforced my point, Bruce. Things like this can and do happen to anyone. Yes, it could be a tank ran dry because he "thought it should have been enough." Or maybe he just exchanged the tank at the supplier and it was not filled. That has happened to me on many occasions (with different gases.) Admittedly, the gauge should have been a clue. But in your case, the line separated, and I am sure that you preflighted and tried to ensure the integrity of it, and still you needed help. Are you now including yourself in the wonton careless and reckless pilots? I would hope not.

Point is, you need redundancy. A wife in the right front seat who is a nonpilot is NOT redundant. Lack of soemone watching your POX is not redundant. The teeny 19 cu ft. bottle on most Cirri is nowhere near what one needs to carry to isnure adequate supply. 49 is more like it. You take precautions up there.

While I agree that the historical attitude of the standard Cirrus pilot seems to gravitate more towards the "more money than brains" end of the spectrum, I just don't believe this is one of those incidents that includes only Cirrus drivers.

I do not intend to single out cirrus drives. My example of the Urologist in FLG in teh Bravo is the SAME phenomenon. NOT enough caution or learning, resulting in trouble.

I have read of many different aircraft suffering these types of problems, and it is a scary situation all around. A Lear jet went down in a lake. A Baron went down.

And as far as the woman not being an able pilot, some spouses just don't want to control the aircraft. I have been trying for years to get my wife to take the pinch hitters course, or at least to let me teach her how to land in an emergency, but she wants nothing to do with it. I am wearing her down, though.

So what I do is carry LOTS of O2, monitor the POx (she's in charge of that) and never leave with less than 49 cu ft aboard (I have 80 cu. ft carriage). You tend to do stupid things when you have more fuel than Oxygen. That teeny little tank encourages "flying 2.0" aviators and OTHER "bright and shiny" aviators, to make.....errors.

 

[Jeanie]

This kinda plane, that kinda plane... whatever kinda plane - I just listened to the ATC tape that Scott posted and my heart went out to the wife doing her best to take care of the situation. The controller was good and the other aircraft sure made their contacts short and sweet.
I think if I were flying an aircraft high enough to risk hypoxia from mechanical failure etc I'd be positive to know that my pax could use the radio, work the autopilot etc and make turns away from terrain.
WOW.

 

[Doggtyred]

This kinda plane, that kinda plane... whatever kinda plane - I just listened to the ATC tape that Scott posted and my heart went out to the wife doing her best to take care of the situation. The controller was good and the other aircraft sure made their contacts short and sweet.
I think if I were flying an aircraft high enough to risk hypoxia from mechanical failure etc I'd be positive to know that my pax could use the radio, work the autopilot etc and make turns away from terrain.
WOW.

Don't count on your passenger not being hypoxic as well.

 

[tdager]

In case the joystick catches fire?

LOL...Ok you have me there!