I think I know why so many Cirrus' crash

"cjcampbell" wrote:


Newps wrote:

That's great but we're talking about an uncontrolled field.

Fine, then. I guess you don't have to see and avoid at an uncontrolled
field, is that what you and Gary are saying?

I am saying that the OP has no particular reason to suppose that
everyone has to fly by whatever rules he personally thinks are best.
Although the Cirrus was on a 4 mile final, the pilot apparently thought
that the OP had cut in front of him. The Cirrus was probably somewhat
closer than a 4 mile final when the OP turned base to final. Whether
the OP managed to remain "well clear" is subjective; the Cirrus pilot
does not appear to have thought so.

Now, when someone says that they are on a 4 mile final, how often have
you seen where they were actually 4 miles out? In my experience it can
mean they are anywhere from right over the threshold to 15 miles out.
Pilots are notoriously bad judges of distance, especially at
uncontrolled fields.

The OP seems to think that everything at an uncontrolled field should
be nice and orderly, with no surprises. Personally, I would be
surprised to find an uncontrolled field that operates that way. At
least the Cirrus pilot was using his radios and had them tuned to the
right frequency, a great blessing indeed for the OP. I wonder what the
OP would have done if the Cirrus had been NORDO, or had an emergency?

I am sorry that the OP was inconvenienced. I truly am. At least he
lived through it. But telling him that he does not have to see and
avoid at an uncontrolled field and sympathizing with him because of the
'arrogant' Cirrus pilot teaches him nothing.

It does teach me something. That Cirrus pilots can be idiots. See
also BRS deployments for engaging in flight that is stupid. I fly
many hours into and out of uncontrolled and controlled fields. What
the Cirrus pilot did was unacceptable and that sort of behavior may
eventually get him and others killed. I won't be one of the others
because I expect inept pilots like him to be around.

Ron Lee