Jose wrote:

All the rest, as far
as I've heard, have been pilot error related.

Yes, and that's what's wrong with the Cirrus.

It's a nice plane and all, but it's being touted as a plane for the
casual pilot. The casual pilot will make more errors. In a Cirrus,
those errors will kill where in a 172 they are less likely to do so.

Jose


You might be right. Wednesday I was midfield downwind at Hanscom, in a Super
Decathlon (taking aerobatic lessons), heading easterly. I was going to be
#3 says the tower but the other two were waaaay out there on straight in
approaches, so I asked the tower for a 360 rather than flying halfway to
England before turning base. ATC says sure BUT to head North for a bit
first as there was a Cirrus behind me.

OK so I turn North and look and yeah he was behind me...RIGHT friggin
behind me! Both I and the CFI were rather ummmm surprised at how close he
was. So I let him blow by, happy that he's in front of me rather than
behind, do my 360 and proceed to land.

Now sure ATC is responsible for the spread but so is the pilot and that
Cirrus was closing I bet. The CFI informs me it's a fast, slippery plane
with a smallish wing so it has to be flown fast to stay in the air.

So it makes me wonder if the Cirrus pilot understood all of that, and the
ramifications of flying a fast plane in the pattern. Not the aircraft's
fault, of course, but as you say - maybe it's not the plane for the casual
pilot.