Ex-Wal-Mart CEO Lands Troubled Plane on Arkansas Highway FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. A small plane that made an emergency landing along an Arkansas highway was piloted by the former CEO of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Bill Simon told The Associated Press that he unfurled a parachute that brought the plane down on Arkansas 16 outside Fayetteville High School in northwest Arkansas. Simon says he suffered a burn as his air bag deployed. Police say all three men aboard the plane were taken to a hospital, as was a woman whose truck was hit by the falling plane. Police say only minor injuries were reported. Simon was flying to Waco, Texas, where he teaches at Baylor University. He says he decided to land the plane after its oil system failed, and relied on his training to bring the plane down relatively safel
firkin stupid, crappy pilots that would rather let uncontrollable parachute choose their fate than landing the plane. only time I would use the chute would be IMC, extreme icing, or terrain where normal landing options limited.
I thought the same but after reading the propaganda, I'm not so sure... http://cirrusaircraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/CAPS_Guide.pdf
I read it they encourage you to make landing on runway, at 2,000 if not assured then pull it, continue evaluating if runway can be made until 400 feet. sounds like if you can't land on a runway, then they encourage you to pull it. to give them some credit with the low wings, higher speed, and wheel pants an off-field landing isn't as clean as many other single pistons. however, with glide ratio of at least 2 miles per every 1,000 feet and fact this plane usually flies at higher altitude, usually there is always a runway in distance.
I think the parachute is a great safety enhancement. Sure make it to a runway if you can, but I personally try to never fly a single engine piston in low IMC (1000' ceilings) or at night. With a parachute I think I would feel comfortable taking those risks.
In some locales that is considered solid VFR. But everyone should have their own personal minimums and be proficient at those levels, whatever they may be.
^^^^^ important lesson right there ^^^^^ While doing my Bi-Annual last month, my instructor and I tried an experiment, we found and cleared a safe area, then from about 4000 AGL, picked a reference point on the ground, did a Vy climb straight ahead to 5000, then simulated engine loss (power idle), pitched for best glide, then did a 180 turn and tried to make it back to the reference point without loosing more than 1000 feet. We both tried several times, and its tough to do, even in a 172.. But guess what I learned...that's right, I'm never attempting to turn back with no power at a 1000 ft or less..
Every airplane is different. I was able to do it in less than 1000 ft easily in a Mooney. Cirrus, being a newer design with laminar flow wings, could likely do it in less than a 1000 as well. Know your airplane and know your own (piloting) limitations. Also the oft quoted adage to land straight ahead should be considered carefully. While you may not be able to make a 180, how about just a 90. See below video of a Bonanza taking off from Fairbanks that had engine failure shortly after take-off (400 ft). Best landing area was 90 deg to right in bog (i.e. no trees or other obstructions). Pilot Wants Others To Learn From Crash Video - AVweb flash Article
I think that I may have written about before. When I worked at Sarasota airport in the 40's, I was watching a Cessna 140 taking off and it seemed to be taking too long to gain altitude. When it reached the end of the runway it had about 400 feted the engine backfired and quit. It looked like the airplane hit a trip wire when the nose abruptly dropped. The airplane was in a vertical position, nose down ,and it started a spiral to the right. It pulled out just above the tall grass beyond the shoulder of the runway and disappeared. We heard a loud bang . The airplane hit a felled pine tree that had not been removed when the military built airport, Sarasota Airbase. When we got there we could see that the landing gear had been knocked back under the fuselage and the instructor was admonishing the student, "Don't you EVER DO what I just did ! Always go straight ahead!" He was also my instructor and he was a gifted pilot. I believe that he had already figured what he would do and quickly took over when the engine failed. The area ahead was filled with power poles and buildings and a landing there would be very bad. The student said that the instructor literally hit the wheel forward with both hands and took over. As a side note, we dismantled the airplane and joined it to what was left of another one that had survived one of our hurricanes on the east coast of Florida.
