The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) Air Safety Institute (ASI) has honored Cirrus Aircraft with the first annual Joseph T. Nall Safety Award.
“Over the past decade Cirrus has earned one of the best safety records in the industry, and we are proud to acknowledge their work with the Joseph T. Nall Safety Award,” said ASI Senior Vice President George Perry. “Cirrus has doubled down on safety, working with its owners group and making investments in training and transition courses, to lower the accident rate for Cirrus aircraft to less than half the industry average.”
Cirrus created a video-intensive, type-specific training program called “Cirrus Approach” that emphasizes deciding in advance when to use the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS).
At the same time, the company and its tight-knit pilot group, the Cirrus Owners and Pilots Association (COPA), set out to create a culture in which pilots who pulled the chute were applauded — not criticized or second-guessed— for their actions.
The results have been remarkable, according to AOPA officials. In 2015, with more than 6,000 aircraft flying, the number of fatal accidents involving Cirrus airplanes fell to the lowest level since 2001 when fewer than 300 Cirrus aircraft had been produced.