Cirrus Float Plane

Peter,

The fact that the pilot was in critical condition, and one passenger in
serious, further supports the idea that the airplane was not actually
descending under the parachute. After all, while no one has claimed that
the parachute results in a soft landing, critical injuries should be
extremely unlikely.


Don't forget that this is one of the few "parachute landing" into water. It
had been speculated before that these would be much harder since there is
likely no cushioning effect from the collapsing landing gear.

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

Peter,

A controlled
landing, even in the water, would likely have allowed everyone to survive,
including the pilot.


Do you have any data on how long that pond is?

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

Robert,

Usually when you buy a factory new plane your first few days
are training.


Maybe he picked it up from the factory after having completed the
training there.

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

http://www.wthr.com/Global/story.asp?S=5336586
Friend: Pilot became medically incapacitated

[Aug 28, 2006 05:26 PM]
"Indianapolis - Robert Edesess, a local oral surgeon who died while piloting
a small plane Monday morning, may have become medically incapacitated before
the crash. According to a family friend, Edesess may have lost consciousness
before the plane crash-landed into a retention pond.

....

According to Kehoe, Edesess, 66, may have had some sort of medical event
which rendered him unconscious. Kehoe told Eyewitness News that his wife,
Poolie, activated the plane's parachute release.

It's possible the pilot might have been already dying from his 'medical
event' (heart attack, stroke, etc ?) and not received fatal injuries
due to the hard water crash landing under the chute. The news articles
seem to be silent on that possibility.