The SR22 is perfectly safe!!!!!!!!!!

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post was split from this thread
I’m getting sick of seeing the “SR-22G NOT SAFE!!!” title in this forum so I decided to post this one to “piggyback” the other into oblivion (or at least the archives). If the post had any merit whatsoever, I would certainly be all ears, but this is just stupid as many of you have more eloquently opined in the post I am linking from.
Thousands of people browse this forum, so I canÂ’t wait until some guy at an FBO asks me if I am worried about the parachute being ripped from the airframe if I ever have to deploy it. I will be understanding in my response that, no, I am not worried because there is nothing to be worried about as the allegations are completely baseless, but I wonÂ’t be so understanding if I ever run into PilotDesign2003 (not that it will happen since he is posting anonymously).

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Andy,
I enjoy your posts!
I have no argument with the spirit of your title change here; but it’s a good opportunity to get a little pedantic, and to express my view.
The SR20 / SR22 airplanes are potentially the safest G.A. airplanes in their class ever made. Remove the pilot from the equation, and they are the safest ever made in their class.
But pilots are strange, and there are always those who assume that greater capability of their machine automatically equates to greater PERSONAL capability - as in, I’m a lousy instrument pilot (or perhaps, I’m not one at all), but THIS AIRPLANE CAN DO WHAT I CAN’T. Or, I’ve never understood Density Altitude, but this airplane is so powerful I don’t need to worry about such things. And on, and on, and on.
Such pilots can invert the safety model in a big hurry, and convert the safest single-engine, high performance, 4-seat piston airplane ever made into one that displays a poor accident record. I believe we’ve seen some of that, and I believe that the effect is dwindling. At least, I hope so.
Still, we have to try to weed out those pilots - we could recommend alternate hobbies like horseback riding or car racing or motocross or downhill skiing etc., which are all fun, too. I think that part of the problem is that it’s nearly impossible to target marketing to reach only Responsible People. So what’s left? The rest of us - the ones who are fanatical about safety, attend safety and judgement training seminars regularly, have no compunction about canceling a trip if something isn’t right - including a score on a personal minimums checklist. Those of us who do that set an example that just MAY keep the stats sunny-side-up.
Of course, there are bad apples in all corners of G.A., but I fear that the new breed of airplanes (not just Cirrus - Lancair, Adam, Diamond, and certainly the new personal jets) are going to be like honey attracting fliers. (Not a typo).

One optimistic note: It’s my gut-feel, supported to some extent by data, that members of COPA either start out as the safety conscious types, or get caught up in it. Which is a good thing, because I like our members.

  • Mike.
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start out as the safety conscious types, or get caught up in it. Which is a good thing, because I like our members…

I wish to offer myself up as one who has got caught up in the cult of safety that pervades this site. We all understand the paradox: do safe pilots flock to COPA or does COPA lead to safer pilots? My personal sense is that, while the real maniacs may never pay the subscription fee, those that join and read can’t help but be swept along with the tide of “safety, safety, safety…” My sense also is that most pilots were and always will be students. Flying, golfing, skiing, what have you, they are on a endless and fruitless, but perfectly appropriate search for more. More knowledge, more skill, more understanding, more passion. I get excited when I hear about the the seven distinct movements that must be pefomed to open the canopy of a T28 in order to not blow the hatch, but simply retract it. This cool prodcedure is what we pilot s relish…

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The rest of us - the ones who are fanatical about safety, attend safety and judgement training seminars regularly, have no compunction about canceling a trip if something isn’t right - including a score on a personal minimums checklist

I went to the Critical Decision Making seminar that Rick Beach put on in Santa Barbara a while ago. I went up with my friend Shirley and my CFII Kevin.

On July 15 I was planning a flight from Cedar City KCDC to Upland KCCB. Shirley and I walked over to the Cedar City Flight Service Station and were immediately invited back to the console. The nexread display showed about three cells of a thunderstorm right over St. George. It wasn’t moving. This wasn’t a great surprise since we had seen it from the parking lot at the airport.

We decided to call the nearby Crystal Inn to have them pick us up (we had turned in the rental car) and wait a while to see what happened to the storm. After about 45 min. I called CDC FSS again and there was still no good news on the Wx so we stayed overnight that night.

The next morning the flight was uneventful. We had clear skies until about Hector VOR where we encountered about .4 hours IMC. It was about 43 deg. F and smooth. We broke out into perfectly clear skies for the remainder of the trip.

The Critical Decision Making session was very helpful. My friend is not a pilot but she is certainly attuned to safety issues and is not shy about asking questions. Thanks Rick.

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In reply to:

I wish to offer myself up as one who has got caught up in the cult of safety that pervades this site. We all understand the paradox: do safe pilots flock to COPA or does COPA lead to safer pilots? My personal sense is that, while the real maniacs may never pay the subscription fee, those that join and read can’t help but be swept along with the tide of “safety, safety, safety…” My sense also is that most pilots were and always will be students. Flying, golfing, skiing, what have you, they are on a endless and fruitless, but perfectly appropriate search for more. More knowledge, more skill, more understanding, more passion. I get excited when I hear about the the seven distinct movements that must be pefomed to open the canopy of a T28 in order to not blow the hatch, but simply retract it. This cool prodcedure is what we pilot s relish…

Clif,

To some extent, the collective consciousness of COPA affects all its members. But, it should be obvious to all that that merely joining COPA in no way affords any mantle of protection from mishap! Still, I’d love to find some elusive statistics – like the percentage of penetration of type clubs into the total ownership, and the level of participation of the members in the safety programs. Heck, it’s tough to come up with the numbers for COPA alone! Still, I’m pretty sure that we stand head and shoulders above most other type clubs in these critical areas. Something for us to be really proud of.

  • Mike.
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In reply to:

I went to the Critical Decision Making seminar … The Critical Decision Making session was very helpful. My friend is not a pilot but she is certainly attuned to safety issues and is not shy about asking questions. Thanks Rick.

Stephen,
I’ve participated in, and presented at, a few CDMs, and they’ve been very helpful to me, too. One of the most significant things it’s done for me is to change a habit – instead of just mentally going through a Personal Minimus Checklist, I now actually fill out the “Personal Minimums Scorecard” that is presented and taught at CDM. To be honest, I was starting to get complacent with that, too… until last night, when I did one with my son, Max. (As you know, your score benefits if you complete the checklist with a “safety buddy”). Anyway, the result was a surprise. I was expecting to have a very low-risk outcome, as most of my recent flights have been. Now that I’m based in a place with chronically good weather, I expected that if anything, my proposed flight would have an even lower risk than average.
But the Scorecard said… Not So. Sure, the departure airport (North Las Vegas) had good weather… but, I had to admit, it’s still not very familiar. And Density Altitude is a factor with 90dF+ temps on departure. And the route to Santa Barbara is mountanous. And unfamiliar. And Santa Barbara was forecasting a low marine layer for my arrival. And I’m not familiar with that airport, either. To cap it all off, I was doing this assessment at 1 a.m., and planning to get up at 6 a.m. today… so this time, I had to admit to some fatigue.
The bottom line was that I got a “Proceed with Extra Caution” score. So I did. The Scorecard alerted me to potential hazards that were certainly at the back of my mind, but now I was fully aware of them.
As it turned out, the flight was perfect. The only wrinkle was on arrival at SBA - seemed like 15 airplanes arrived at once. Tower gave me a series of tap-dance steps and side-steps, which were kind of fun to do, and earned me an Attaboy at the end. But it’s easy to see how I might have missed thinking about some of the risk factors that were there - as I said, I’d become a tad complacent. The thing that broke my tendency to dangerous complacency was the CDM course.

I’m grateful to Mason Holland for all the work he did to make the CDM courses a reality and to all the volunteers who give their time to host them…