There is a very informative thread running on the COPA site. The lawsuit over the Cirrus that crashed going into Tallahassee, Fl. There is actually a COPA member who is an attorney that is watching the case go on and posting his observations. Evidently the case is based on the theory that the flux gate had a defect and gave erroneuos readings to MFD leading to disorientation. The fact that pilot had only 5.5 hours in the Cirrus having transitioned from a PA-28 and was attempting an ILS approach has little merit to the crash per plaintiff's attorneys. The case is being heard in San Dieo but New York law applies.

I think I have the basics to the case correct. It is a long thread and a lot of info is flying around. There is a Cirrus SR22 that was brought in for exempler(SP) and placed in the courthouse parking lot. Also A full scale mockup of the instrument panel. Plaintiffs expert witnesses include a NASA astrounaut that delivered one of the first Cirrus aircraft to NASA.

Time in type is apparantly 17 hrs, total time PIC in Cirrus 5.5 hrs. Total PIC in PA-28 628hrs.

If you get disorientated looking at the mfd, you already stopped being a pilot.

not so sure about that.
you're in solid IMC and flying the CDI on the HSI, and the HSI is telling you the wrong thing, then it could lead you to deviate from the course and be very hard to get back.

if I saw that happen I'd cross check with my backup (compass and backup OBS)
is there a backup OBS in a G1000 cirrus?
there's certainly a compass.
either way, this is pilot error for not recognizing a failed instrument.

but I can totally see how it would lead to a course deviation
and once your outside the dots you can hit things poking up.

BTW: I have not read the thread, I know nothing about what's going on or anything about the incident, I'm just sayin, failed HSI leading to crash is pilot error

Ok, the pilot is in an unfamilar aircraft with a glass cockpit....I would presume the PA28 he was in before was steam gauges. Not sure what happened in this accident, but it would be very easy make a mistake with the glass cockpit transition.

I'm not looking at the MFD in IMC.

I knew a pilot who thought you flew gps approaches by looking at the magenta line. That was one of the first retraining issues we addressed. He was new to the TAA and way behind the aircraft. He had a nice STEC, but whenever he started fiddling with the Garmin, we started a turn, I think to the left. Without fail, he repeated this time and time again. He was not proficient with the technology, and it became a distraction from his primary responsibility of flying the airplane. He was fixated on that GPS and didn't even engage the a/p. We had a lot of training to do.

As for pilot error, in this day and age of no responsibility, I just look back at the Carnahan accident and have to shake my head. This case seems to be heading in the same direction.

MFD ?

Let me guess... the plaintiffs are represented by attorney who's name rhymes with "cock"? What a piece of crap!

Perhaps this applies?

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=65650

I'm pretty sure Rick is not an attorney. That's what makes his observations of the trial especially interesting.