On Tue, 31 Oct 2006 05:53:23 -0500, Cubdriver usenet AT danford.net wrote:

On Mon, 30 Oct 2006 20:48:19 -0800, Ron Wanttaja
wrote:

I think that the type of event the parachute is intended for would likely be an
accident in a non-chute-equipped airplane, as well. Hence the accident rate
*shouldn't* be different... but there hopefully would be an advantage in the
fatality rate.

The second part ought to be true, but not the first. The Cirrus should
have *more* accidents, because isn't every deployment an accident? I
mean, aren't all Cirrus PLFs (I've been waiting since Fort Bragg to
use that acronym!) going to damage the airplane?

Some or many of those accidents would have been avoided without the
parachute, since the pilot would make an emergency landing, hopefully
without damage to the airplane.

Perhaps. I am reminded of Chuck Yeager's biography, where he said something
along the lines of "With F-86 engine failures, I did a deadstick landing only if
I was feeling really sharp that day."

None of use have Yeager's skills, though the aircraft we fly aren't nearly as
challenging. But the fact is, many of us *aren't* sharp enough...or lucky
enough...to pull off emergency landings without damage. Some of us kill
ourselves while attempting it.

We have gotten sucked into the "spin certification" vortex again, and lose sight
of the fact that the parachute is a solution to most airborne emergencies. Not
the *best* solution... for myself, I'd rather try land deadstick if the occasion
arises...but it is a lowest common denominator.

Rather than requiring a multitude of skill sets that will fade over time...

- "Trim for best glide speed, start looking for an open field"
- "Throttle back, stick forward, rudder against the spin"
- "Use the doors to turn and the trim to control pitch"
- "Turn the landing light on; if you don't like what you see, turn it off")

.... the parachute system allows the pilot the option of taking ONE action that
will ensure survival in a wide variety of emergencies. And a parachute is
practically the only viable option in a number of circumstances. If the
propeller sheds a blade and the engine shakes itself off the front of the
airplane, no amount of stick-and-rudder skills will help.

Cubdriver's right...a parachute system will turn a potential incident (not
meeting the NTSB Part 830 criteria) into an actual accident. But I'd let the
insurance companies fight that one.

Ron Wanttaja