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Description
Technology can make our flights easier and safer, as long as we're aware of the limitations and are actually trained to use the technology. Technological breakthroughs rarely make things simpler right out of the box. In fact, technology can initially be a hindrance or may provide a false sense of security.
Technology has changed the way we make a stay-or-go decision and it alters what we might do in the air when confronted with a challenge. The painful truth is that it's not all roses. New technology demands a new respect.
Chute Happens
The Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) is standard equipment with every Cirrus aircraft sold. Assuming that CAPS is used swiftly and within published guidelines, CAPS takes away some of the worry associated with a catastrophic engine failure, incapacitated pilot, instrument failure in IMC, or sudden loss of aircraft control. Activating CAPS is an option that is available to all Cirrus pilots when things go terribly wrong.
CAPS aircraft have a distinct advantage over aircraft without an airframe parachute. Think about an engine failure at night. If you can't glide to an airport, CAPS might be your best chance to survive. The same is true while flying over an area reporting 500 overcast where, short of a miracle, there's little chance to safely fly the airplane onto the ground. CAPS even gives a non-pilot passenger a chance to survive if the pilot is incapacitated and can't fly the airplane.
A side-effect of this technology now floats to the surface. Does CAPS change the way Cirrus pilots make a stay-or-go decision? For some it does. It becomes a safety net for higher risk situations.
Flying over icing conditions is a good example. It's a slightly elevated-risk mission. When you hear a big thud and your... |
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