Some say that Cirrus aircraft are improperly designed because they tend to catch fire on impact more frequently than other aircraft, such as those manufactured by Cirrus competitors, like Diamond or Cessna. And there are plenty of examples of post-crash Cirrus fires to talk about. Critics argue that those fires prove that the aircraft is unduly dangerous
The “Impossible Turn” and Three Mooney Crashes in Two Weeks
Three Mooneys have crashed in two weeks. Each aircraft crashed on takeoff. Sadly, seven people were killed. Two of the accidents may have involved the "impossible turn."
First Crash: On July 5, a 1974 Mooney M20F (N7759M) crashed shortly after taking off from Watsonville, California. All four aboard were killed.
Second Crash
Video Shows Open Door in Deer Valley Cirrus Crash
I wrote here that the door on N146CK, the Cirrus SR22 that crashed August 4 at Deer Valley, opened in-flight. Yesterday, Fox News in Phoenix aired video from a security camera that captured the impact. Here are frame grabs from the video showing the open door.
Usually, when a door pops open in flight, aerodynamic forces keep
Cirrus Crash at Deer Valley, Arizona: Door Opened (Yet Again. . .)
Cirrus N146CK crashed on August 4 at Deer Valley, Airzona. The pilot was killed. Just before the accident, the aircraft’s door popped open. We know that because the pilot reported to air traffic control that his door was open and that he needed to return to the airport to close it. Plus, surveillance cameras confirmed that the pilot’s door was indeed ajar.
The plane’s door popped open? What’s with that?
The Cirrus doors are poorly designed. It’s that simple. They just don’t stay shut in flight.
The plane flies okay after a door pops open. But the distraction can be dangerous, and can lead to a loss of control, as demonstrated by this 2009 Cirrus crash. Following the 2009 accident, JohnContinue Reading Cirrus Crash at Deer Valley, Arizona: Door Opened (Yet Again. . .)