As the safety guy in COPA, let me quibble about using loose terminology to describe relative safety of airframes. Is it “dangerous” or “more challenging”?
As Curt opined, the Diamond fleet has an enviable safety record with few accidents. That’s good.
However, the size of the fleet is less than one fifth of the Cirrus fleet, approximately 1,200 planes to 6,000 planes. There are many aspects of small fleets that may affect accident rates, such as the kinds of pilots drawn to fly those aircraft and the capabilities used when flying those aircraft. If the typical missions differ, then the exposure to risks are different. And if the pilots approach the plane differently, then the pilot proficiency and currency may differ.
While skeptics might consider my observations as justifying a higher accident rate for Cirrus aircraft than others, recent data proves otherwise. Using NTSB data, this chart shows that the Cirrus fatal accident rate has declined dramatically in the past 5 years.
So, is the Cirrus SR22T dangerous? Not in the hands of the owners and operators who espouse the COPA Culture of Safety.
Choose your airplane wisely.
Choose your instructor wisely.
And choose your flights wisely.
Cheers
Rick