BRS: Parachute Recovery Systems

FLYING Staff

Thursday, December 23, 2004 at 10:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Whole-airplane parachute systems, such as Cirrus's CAPS, have proven effective in real-world emergencies, demonstrably saving lives in scenarios like instrument failure, loss of control, and mechanical issues.
While these systems spark debate among pilots regarding their impact on aeronautical decision-making and control, their ability to provide a crucial safety net in life-threatening situations is increasingly recognized.
Despite challenges like cost and certification for wider adoption across the general aviation fleet, the documented life-saving potential suggests a growing future for whole-airplane parachutes, particularly in Light Sport Aircraft and potentially larger aircraft.

See a mistake? Contact us.

Last April, an instrument-rated private pilot took off from Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport in his SR22 bound for Palm Beach International. It was solid IFR, 400 overcast. The pilot was experienced in Cirrus airplanes-he was a founder of the Cirrus Owners and Pilots Association-he regularly flew such IFR flights, and he knew his airplane well. As he rotated and began to climb, all systems looked good.

Then, just after he had entered the soup at right around the advertised 400 feet things started to go wrong. The altimeter began to fluctuate wildly, and the pilot called ATC to report the problem and to request a return to the airport. He got a vector, but things soon got worse, and he came to believe that the attitude indicator and turn coordinator were indicating differently. As he desperately tried to sort things out, he realized that he had no idea how high or where exactly he was.