[imagesource:cirrusapproach]
Dramatic footage has been doing the rounds of a plane slowly descending underneath a parachute canopy as it ‘gently crashes’ on a hill in Brazil. According to reports, the passengers included a newborn baby. Everyone survived.
Usually, you would expect passengers to bail out of a stricken aeroplane, but in this case, the plane had its own parachute which saved the lives of everyone onboard.
Lucky for them the aeroplane was a Cirrus SR22, one of the few aircraft that employs the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS). This system is called a ‘whole-plane recovery system’ and allows the pilot to deploy an oversized parachute connected to the frame of the aircraft in the case of an emergency. Although CAPS reduced the speed at which the planes descend enough to save the lives of the occupants, the aircraft in most cases suffers structural damage, even if the ‘landing’ looks soft.
“The Pilot reported loss of engine power during cruise, attempted return to airport, and activated CAPS when realizing there was insufficient glide range. Upon touching down the entire crew was conscious, oriented and without apparent injuries.”
CAPS has been used since 2002 and was created after Cirrus co-founder Alan Klapmeier was involved in a mid-air collision. The flying enthusiast survived the subsequent crash but immediately set about developing a system that would give pilots a way out in a worst-case scenario.
The first emergency deployment occurred in 2002 over Lewisville, Texas; one pilot of a Cirrus SR22 was uninjured.
So far, the recovery system has been responsible for saving the lives of 249 people. As of 2019, 21 of the aircraft that had deployed CAPS had been repaired and put back into service.
It still looks hella scary:
This should definitely be a requirement for all aircraft.
