NTSB Issues BPRS Warning for First Responders

Agency releases alert about explosion risks from undeployed Ballistic Parachute Recovery Systems at crash sites.

Meg Godlewski

Wednesday, February 25, 2026 at 04:00 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

NTSB logo and image [Credit: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

Ballistic Parachute Recovery Systems (BPRS), designed to save lives, pose significant on-scene hazards to first responders due to their undeployed, rocket-propelled parachute deployment mechanism.
The NTSB advises first responders to exercise extreme caution, including identifying warning labels, avoiding the rocket's potential exit path, not cutting activation cables, and refraining from manipulating the cockpit's activation handle.
Upon identifying a BPRS at an accident site, responders must immediately contact the NTSB's 24/7 Response Operations Center for assistance in safely disabling the system and preventing accidental deployment.

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A Ballistic Parachute Recovery System (BPRS) is a fancy name for a parachute attached to an aircraft that can save lives when there is an uncommanded loss of engine power or the aircraft enters a spin. But on the ground, the undeployed BPRS can be dangerous due to the rocket that fires to deploy the parachute.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Office of Aviation Safety has released a new safety alert—On-Scene Hazards of Ballistic Parachute Recovery Systems—to help pilots and first responders recognize and address the potential danger.