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Cirrus planes have spotty record
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New York Yankees pitcher Corey Lidle flew a SR20 aircraft into a building on New York’s Upper East Side last year. Safety concerns surround the Cirrus SR20 and SR22, which are marketed to buyers in the Baltimore/Washington region.
BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Fly with me.
Maybe not. Especially if the pilot is a novice in the cockpit of a Cirrus SR22 or SR20, two planes marketed to Baltimore and Washington residents that crashed at least 40 times in the last six years.
And a new federal report suggests that pilots should log in more flying hours before they attempt to fly these planes, especially in light of a crash last year that killed New York Yankees pitcher Corey Lidle. Lidle did not have 20 flight hours in his Cirrus SR20 aircraft, the amount most flight insurers require, according to a new report published by the National Transportation Safety Board. Lidle also was not trained by a Cirrus qualified teacher, the board said.
“The avionics [navigation tools] in the aircraft are very sophisticated, they are easy to use if you know what you are doing. If you don’t know what you are doing, it’s impossible to use,” said John Sweeney, the regional manager of Falcon Insurance Agency Northeast Inc. in Frederick.
Despite at least 42 deaths involving these planes, the company continues to market the aircraft as if they are as easy to drive as a car. “Consider making your next set of wheels a new pair of wings,” stated a brochure for the $350,000 single-engine Cirrus SR-22 plane mailed to Maryland residents.
An analysis by the Duluth (Minn.) News-Tribune published in 2003 questioned the safety of the plane. “Cirrus’s accident rate is 33 percent above the norm and its fatality rate is three times that of most planes in its category,” the report found.
Both Cirrus models have been involved in more than 40 incidents since 2001 — including one involving a New Jersey man in Edgewater this July.
New information was released on one of Cirrus’s most high-profile incidents, the crash that killed Lidle.
But Cirrus Design continues to tout the safety features of its aircraft, which include energy-absorbing seats, a ballistic parachute system and four-point harness restraint system.
A model of the Cirrus SR-20 was involved in a crash in Edgewater this summer. The pilot, Ralph Dilks, a New Jersey man, died of his injuries the following week.
“Absolutely we are upset, we are concerned. We are frustrated,” Bill King, vice president of business administration for Minnesota-based Cirrus Design told The Examiner in a previous interview. “One accident is too many.”
Accidents and Deaths in Cirrus Aircrafts
» The Cirrus SR-22: about 40 accidents since 2001, with at least 27 deaths.
» The Cirrus SR-20: about 20 accidents, with at least 15 deaths.
Source: National Transportation Safety Board
mmcilroy@baltimoreexaminer.com
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Interested Bistander said:
What happens if you only swim in the shallow part? do you still get in trouble?
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said:
I MISS YOU ADAM KLANK!!!!! A WHOLE LOT!
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Examiner Reader said:
I Miss You Ahmad, Friend, Mentor.
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Examiner Reader said:
Please confirm that this article is correct. A close source to the deceased says findings are that the motorcyclist is not the one who ran the light. An unlicensed ambulance driver was the one who ran the light. If you find these facts to be true please do a follow up article to retract the statement that the motorcyclist was the negligent driver. Thank you.
301 agree | 300 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
There was no before, there will be no after, there is only the here and now so live well and prosper. And be careful. Peace! out.......................
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James said:
The woman stepped off of a curb into the roadway where she was struck by the car being driven by the 18 year-old. What was the driver of the car supposed to have done? Why would the driver be charged if the woman stepped in front of her vehicle? Get a grip.
312 agree | 335 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
why wasnt the 18 year old woman who ran over the pedestrian charged? Bet she was a hot blond wearing a short summer skirt!!!
460 agree | 388 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Police work is respectable. we must remember however that police are human. that is to say, all police are not respectable. the profession, yes the person, maybe. abuse of authority is one the most awful perversions. this is a case of an officer being killed by another officer. accidental probably. police put their life in jeopardy everyday. sometimes warranted. like any other profession, you need to work smart, unlike other professions, your very life depends upon it. serve and protect. admirable goals. 24 years of age, a very short life. killed pursuing a suspect for reckless driving. yet killed by another reckless driver, his partner. does the means justify the end. you cannot value a life so the answer is no. no job, suspect or goal is worth anyone's life. it is tragic that anyone trying to save a life loses his own in a vain effort. a case of friendly fire. i can not stress enough, police are people too and they need to recognize that point. all men have flaws.
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Examiner Reader said:
so sad that's my teacher's brother!
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Examiner Reader said:
On Wednesday April 18, 2007 my wife and I witnessed an incident that reminded us about the true meaning of each day we are alive. As many of you now know, a six year old boy passed away soon after collapsing at Westminster’s Main Street Mile. Reading about this incident or hearing about it for the first time will affect everyone differently, but I can attest that when you actually witness a child’s death, its impact is far different than just reading it in the newspaper - something I never fully appreciated until April 18th. Reflecting on such dreadfully tragedy, I wanted to share some thoughts. First, as a parent, I believe that kids should become our life, and if they are not, you will someday come to regret it. Second, be there for your kids! And I mean truly BE THERE, because each passing moment may be the last time you have a chance to say ‘I Love you,’ words that should already be a part of your vocabulary. Third, at some point we all have felt guilty about how we have beh
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