Deadly Plane Collision In Ohio

Guest Discussion
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In reply to:

My feelings are that CAPS is a good thing but I wonder what the consequences are. Are Cirrus pilots putting themselves into situations where CAPS would be their only out? I just worry about putting too many eggs in that basket. In this case Gaylord’s post could have read “wish they had skywatch” and we could draw similar conclusions. technology is great and i am a huge advocate - i just hope that we as GA make appropriate decisions based on it.

Stu,

While I agree that technology is a two edged sword, I think there is a fundamental difference between technologies like Skywatch, NEXRAD, etc. that exist to KEEP you out of trouble and, if misused or misunderstood can actually get you into trouble, and something like CAPS that exists solely to “bail you out” as a last resort. CAPS really does nothing to prevent trouble, and I doubt its presence makes pilots behave significantly different from what they would do without it.

For me the most problematic technology on the Cirrus is TKS. Like CAPS it exists to get you out of trouble rather than keep you out of it. It can, unfortunately, be used to rationalize flying in areas that are simple not suitable for any light aircraft. The California icing accident may be a good example. When used properly it can clearly enhance safety. If misunderstood and used as a substitute for good judgment it can result in disaster.

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In reply to:

Perhaps we can agree that it’s a good thing to know how to text message?
— Roger

Good article, until the last sentence:

“The plane was a Cessna 140 Piper Cub.”

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One of the pilots killed, Mark Schaden, was the webmaster for a very popular aviation site called Flightinfo.com. Lots of great stuff on there for all pilots. Info on him his family and the others can be found there. It’s conjecture to assume a chute would or would not have saved his life. Many times pilots are killed upon impact after a mid-air. We’ll have to see what the NTSB says.