SR-22 Down in East Dallas area. No fatalities so far

Assuming limited financial resources, I wonder if this is one of the many cases in which the pilot should have rather invested in additional training than in a chute? This could have ended very badly, despite of it.

Glad they made it out OK.
 
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German guy said:
Assuming limited financial resources, I wonder if this one of the many cases in which the pilot should have rather invested in additional training than in a chute? This could have ended very badly, despite of it.

Glad they made it out OK.
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Er, not to be a noodge or anything but seems to me this was the ultimate expression of the reason for the chute.

Here's the pilot getting some kind of award:

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is recognizing Mahmood Ataee with inclusion in the prestigious FAA Airmen Certification Database.

The database, which appears on the agency's website at www.faa.gov, names Ataee and other certified pilots who have met or exceeded the high educational, licensing and medical standards established by the FAA.

Pilot certification standards have evolved over time in an attempt to reduce pilot errors that lead to fatal crashes. FAA standards, which are set in consultation with the aviation industry and the public, are among the highest in the world.

So, he is the top of the GA pilot heap vis-a-vis training and certification, and yet in the final moments before tragedy - he pulled the chute, and was on ABC yakking about it.
 
docmirror said:
Er, not to be a noodge or anything but seems to me this was the ultimate expression of the reason for the chute.

Here's the pilot getting some kind of award:

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is recognizing Mahmood Ataee with inclusion in the prestigious FAA Airmen Certification Database.

The database, which appears on the agency's website at www.faa.gov, names Ataee and other certified pilots who have met or exceeded the high educational, licensing and medical standards established by the FAA.

Pilot certification standards have evolved over time in an attempt to reduce pilot errors that lead to fatal crashes. FAA standards, which are set in consultation with the aviation industry and the public, are among the highest in the world.

So, he is the top of the GA pilot heap vis-a-vis training and certification, and yet in the final moments before tragedy - he pulled the chute, and was on ABC yakking about it.
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That's not an award. That's some stupid site that goes through the pilot database and inserts names in a template page. See post #23. I'll bet if you search long enough you'll find where they have given you an "award" too.
 
Everskyward said:
That's not an award. That's some stupid site that goes through the pilot database and inserts names in a template page. See post #23. I'll bet if you search long enough you'll find where they have given you an "award" too.
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Ok, I didn't look into it sorry very much, sorry. I still maintain that this was a trained pilot, operating like thousands of other trained pilots who for one reason or another find themselves in over their head. The chute did it's job, and they are alive today.
 
I looked up that plane and saw they had retrofitted it w/ tundra tires.
That is why they are alive today.

You should see the wheel pants. HUGE.
Still not recommended for grass strips.
 
Scared or impulsive passenger inappropriately pulling the chute from normal flight perhaps?
 
FastEddieB said:
1) From the language, it does not sound like an "award".

2) The wife pulled the chute.
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1. Yeah, it seems that way.

2. He was pulling it, but wife already did.

I still maintain the chute did it's job in the end. He/she pulled, they lived, end of story.
 
docmirror said:
[...] I still maintain that this was a trained pilot, operating like thousands of other trained pilots who for one reason or another find themselves in over their head. The chute did it's job, and they are alive today.
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The pilot and and his wife said in the interview that they first clipped the power lines, which are at the closest point still a mile(!!) away from the runway end, and only then pulled the chute. The power lines weren't even particularly high.

While the chute indeed probably saved their bacon, this was only the case because a battalion of guardian angles worked an extra shift.

I certainly don't want to bash Cirrus planes, but this is IMHO rather an example of a pilot who shouldn't be sitting in such a high performance plane than of the greatness of the parachute system.

If money is no factor, a parachute and training are certainly the best combination. If I would have to pick, I'd start with the training, because the NTSB statistic shows clear evidence that the greatest safety risk sits inside the plane. Some people seem to make a different choice, though... :dunno:
 
I'm getting a headache pointing this out so many times.

Agreed, he wasn't the greatest GA pilot in the world. Not by a long shot.

Agreed, he shouldn't be in a high perf lane.

Agreed, he could have trained better. He could have done a lot of things better, he could have been the greatest GA pilot on the planet.

Lots of philosophically important points to ponder.

He WAS in a plane with a parachute.

He DID make mistakes.

They DID hit power lines.

They DEPLOYED the chute.

It SAVED their lives in this case as it was designed.

Everyone has perfect 20/20 hindsight, and a keen grasp of the recent history. That's great, and we can all say how we would never be in that position. But - he was in that position and the chute made the difference.
 
German guy said:
If money is no factor, a parachute and training are certainly the best combination.
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Money is no factor. Getting a parachute installed (or finding a suitable model with one already installed,) assuming it is even an option, appears to be the biggest barrier. Shucks, as far as I can tell a higher percentage of ultralights have parachutes installed on them than certificated aircraft. But that is because the barriers to installing them are much less.

The argument always seems to boil down to the demand that, like Lake Wobegon, all pilots are expected to be above average. And those that aren't shouldn't be flying - or oddly, the implication that they deserve to die (presumably for the affront of wanting to enjoy the flying experience all the Lake Wobegon pilots get to experience.)
 
This is probably a good time to point out my favorite night flying trick.

1) Get an instrument rating
2) Shoot an approach

If you do that, you should get yourself in a very good position to identify the runway and no find yourself trying to land short. There are some funny illusions that can happen at night.

And if you're not comfortable, just stay on the ground.
 
Ted DuPuis said:
This is probably a good time to point out my favorite night flying trick.

1) Get an instrument rating
2) Shoot an approach

If you do that, you should get yourself in a very good position to identify the runway and no find yourself trying to land short. There are some funny illusions that can happen at night.

And if you're not comfortable, just stay on the ground.
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:yeahthat:
 
Ted DuPuis said:
This is probably a good time to point out my favorite night flying trick.

1) Get an instrument rating
2) Shoot an approach

If you do that, you should get yourself in a very good position to identify the runway and no find yourself trying to land short. There are some funny illusions that can happen at night.

And if you're not comfortable, just stay on the ground.
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All they had to do was look at the PAPI. If my math is correct, the PAPI guidance would have had them about 260' AGL at 1 mile out. As the saying goes, "4 red and you're dead".
 
Stingray Don said:
All they had to do was look at the PAPI. If my math is correct, the PAPI guidance would have had them about 260' AGL at 1 mile out. As the saying goes, "4 red and you're dead".
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Did they see the PAPI? Reference my previous point about visual illusions.

An instrument approach with vertical guidance works great. I do it on almost all night approaches.
 
I'm a big proponent of the BRS but this is just crazy. So he is flying 55 AGL 2 miles out from landing, clips powerlines, and unbeknownst to him his wife yanks the parachute which immediately gets caught in those powerlines and saves them from piledriving into the ground as they dangle a few feet up in the air? And they jump out right before the plane explodes? Is that what I am reading? Sounds like pure luck to me and a one in a million save.

What in the.......
 
TexDeuce said:
I'm a big proponent of the BRS but this is just crazy. So he is flying 55 AGL 2 miles out from landing, clips powerlines, and unbeknownst to him his wife yanks the parachute which immediately gets caught in those powerlines and saves them from piledriving into the ground as they dangle a few feet up in the air? And they jump out right before the plane explodes? Is that what I am reading? Sounds like pure luck to me and a one in a million save.

What in the.......
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That pretty much sums up most of my landings
 
Ted DuPuis said:
This is probably a good time to point out my favorite night flying trick.

1) Get an instrument rating
2) Shoot an approach

If you do that, you should get yourself in a very good position to identify the runway and no find yourself trying to land short. There are some funny illusions that can happen at night.

And if you're not comfortable, just stay on the ground.
Click to expand...

Absolutely. I feel so much more safe flying at night with my instrument rating. Even if guys don't want to get an instrument rating, they should learn how to fly approaches. It makes it so much safer at night.

TexDeuce said:
I'm a big proponent of the BRS but this is just crazy. So he is flying 55 AGL 2 miles out from landing, clips powerlines, and unbeknownst to him his wife yanks the parachute which immediately gets caught in those powerlines and saves them from piledriving into the ground as they dangle a few feet up in the air? And they jump out right before the plane explodes? Is that what I am reading? Sounds like pure luck to me and a one in a million save.

What in the.......
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I agree. These people got very lucky. The parachute was not intended for that. Very very lucky!
 
TexDeuce said:
I'm a big proponent of the BRS but this is just crazy. So he is flying 55 AGL 2 miles out from landing, clips powerlines, and unbeknownst to him his wife yanks the parachute which immediately gets caught in those powerlines and saves them from piledriving into the ground as they dangle a few feet up in the air? And they jump out right before the plane explodes? Is that what I am reading? Sounds like pure luck to me and a one in a million save.
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That sums it up.
 
TexDeuce said:
I'm a big proponent of the BRS but this is just crazy. So he is flying 55 AGL 2 miles out from landing, clips powerlines, and unbeknownst to him his wife yanks the parachute which immediately gets caught in those powerlines and saves them from piledriving into the ground as they dangle a few feet up in the air? And they jump out right before the plane explodes? Is that what I am reading? Sounds like pure luck to me and a one in a million save.

What in the.......
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If this happened in a movie we would all be calling B.S.
It is pretty fantastic.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
If this happened in a movie we would all be calling B.S.
It is pretty fantastic.
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If this happened in the latest Mission Impossible movie I would say that is cheesy as hell and would never happen in real life. I wonder if she actually thought the parachute would work that low to the ground (it won't) or just pulled purely out of panic? And what was he doing so low to the ground? This is seriously a crazy story. I am very glad it worked out for them but wow.......
 
TexDeuce said:
I wonder if she actually thought the parachute would work that low to the ground (it won't) or just pulled purely out of panic? And what was he doing so low to the ground? ....
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I believe he was on approach to land, at night. Presumably he was unaware he was too low. I doubt if the passenger knew either.

This crash might be an argument for doing an instrument approach, when it is nighttime, instead of a visual approach, to assure obstacle clearance.
 
TexDeuce said:
I'm a big proponent of the BRS but this is just crazy. So he is flying 55 AGL 2 miles out from landing, clips powerlines, and unbeknownst to him his wife yanks the parachute which immediately gets caught in those powerlines and saves them from piledriving into the ground as they dangle a few feet up in the air? And they jump out right before the plane explodes? Is that what I am reading? Sounds like pure luck to me and a one in a million save.

What in the.......
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Unbelievable for sure. Glad it worked out for them. I still wonder what the outcome would have been without the pull. Could it have been possible that he clipped the wire, lost a wheel, climbed to safe altitude and pull from there? I'm sure they wouldn't trade what they got for that chance, but still I wonder.

I haven't flown at night yet so I haven't experienced the illusions, but I can't imagine that runway looked anything other than flat from that altitude and distance. That is why I was wondering if maybe the lights were off and he was lining up for some row of streetlights in a parking lot by mistake.
 
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