How It Works: BRS Aircraft Parachute

Bethany Whitfield

Wednesday, May 11, 2016 at 11:16 PM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

BRS parachutes can deploy effectively at low altitudes (as low as 260 feet in tests, even below 100 feet reported by pilots) and high speeds, but pilots are encouraged to activate the system sooner rather than later in an emergency, with 2,000 feet being a normal deployment height.
The system is activated by a single pull, which initiates a complex sequence where a rocket motor rapidly propels the parachute lines, and a slider ensures full inflation only after the aircraft has slowed to a safe speed.
Following deployment, the aircraft experiences a significant "opening shock" (3-7 Gs) as its forward speed is abruptly reduced, then settles into a controlled descent at rates like 15-28 feet per second.

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According to BRS, tests have shown that its parachutes can be pulled and still fully inflate at altitudes as low as 260 feet and speeds as high as 187 knots. Individual pilots have testified that they successfully deployed their chutes below 100 feet. BRS does not provide a specific minimum-altitude limitation (Cirrus recommends a minimum deployment height of 580 feet in the latest-generation SR22), but that doesn’t mean pilots should wait to pull the handle. For your best chance at a safe, injury-free landing, BRS encourages pilots experiencing midair emergencies to pull the chute sooner rather than later, with a 2,000-foot deployment height being the norm.