Two Recent BRS/CAPS Deployments Credited with Saving 5
People
Cirrus Design has
issued a statement in the wake of the two successful parachute
saves on their SR20 and SR22 aircraft that occured just 36 hours
apart.
"In two separate incidents last week, five lives were saved by
having their aircraft lowered to the ground by parachute. Both
aircraft were Cirrus, the only FAA certified aircraft equipped with
a rocket deployed airframe parachute that can be used in an
emergency to safely lower the entire aircraft with the passengers
protected in the cabin.
Last week (April 8, 2004), while traversing a desolate mountain
range area near Colona, British Columbia at 11,500' MSL, Albert
Kolk became the second Cirrus owner to rely on the safety failsafe
of CAPS. Kolk opted to deploy CAPS in his Cirrus SR20 (Canadian
registry C-GEMC) after encountering severe turbulence over the
inhospitable terrain. Although the investigation is currently
underway, the fact we do know is that all four people onboard (3
adults and a youth) were saved by the CAPS. The deployment over
rugged terrain (with peaks reaching 9,500 MSL) at night was
successful largely due to the quick decision making of the pilot
who relied on his factory training to execute the second historic
deployment. "We came down safe and sound and just stepped out of
the airplane," stated Albert Kolk, owner and pilot of C-GEMC. "Not
even a sore muscle or bruise. It's amazing."
On April 10, 2004 in a completely unrelated event, the third
historic CAPS deployment occurred in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Jeff
Ippoliti departed Ft. Lauderdale Executive (FEX) into instrument
conditions with ceilings at 400' AGL. Once in the clouds, Ippoliti
began to experience conditions that he felt made the return to the
departure airport impossible. As the final measure of safety,
Ippoliti informed controllers that he was "pulling the chute" and
took the prescribed steps to execute another textbook deployment.
Ippoliti's SR22, (N916LJ) came to rest safely approximately six
miles from the airport in a wooded park. Ippoliti told reporters at
the scene that the deployment and subsequent landing was a
"non-event" and when asked if he would purchase another aircraft,
Ippoliti exclaimed "Absolutely! Another Cirrus, I wouldn't fly
anything else."
When Cirrus certified its SR20 in 1998, it became the only
manufacturer in the world to offer a parachute for the aircraft as
standard equipment. Cirrus' bold move to incorporate the parachute
was subject to much skepticism from industry insiders who initially
thought that airplanes didn't need parachutes. Nonetheless, company
founders Alan and Dale Klapmeier were undeterred in their vision to
make personal transportation safer. In fact, safety is one of the
core values that Cirrus is founded upon.
"At Cirrus, the first measure of safety is always accident
prevention," says Alan Klapmeier, president and co-founder of
Cirrus. "However, regardless of how safe the Cirrus aircraft is
designed to be, mechanical and human factors may eventually result
in the need to rely on the CAPS as a final measure of safety." To
date, there have been three documented deployments of CAPS - each
occurrence was safely executed under vastly different circumstances
but each had the same positive result for the aircraft
occupants.
In 2002, Lionel Morrison became the first Cirrus customer to
deploy the CAPS outside of the testing environment, thereby
securing a place in aviation history. Morrison was on a
post-maintenance flight when one of his flight controls surfaces
became inoperative to the extent that he felt he could not safely
land the aircraft (N1223S). Consequently, he decided that his best
and safest option was the deployment of the parachute. Morrison's
textbook CAPS deployment demonstrated to the world that Cirrus had
ushered in a new era in aviation safety with the airframe parachute
as the final measure of safety for extreme aircraft
emergencies.
It is particularly noteworthy to mention that the three CAPS
deployments to date occurred under vastly different circumstances.
The first deployment was a response to an inoperative flight
control resultant from improper maintenance. Although the chain of
events that led up to the second CAPS deployment (11,500' MSL, VFR,
night, severe turbulence) and third CAPS deployment (>1,000 MSL,
IFR, day, cause undetermined) are still under investigation, each
deployment in its own right demonstrates the effectiveness of the
system and its ability to save lives. "Clearly the recent
deployments show the obvious benefit of CAPS as potential
live-saving equipment, but they also show how the CAPS works under
the wide range of conditions that our aircraft routinely operate
in," stated Alan Klapmeier. "Our goal has always been to make
aviation safer. And with CAPS it is safer - the real question is
why aren't more companies using this technology to save lives?"
To date, Cirrus is the only manufacturer in the world to offer
occupants this level of safety. Critics of CAPS and Cirrus'
obsession with safety may be able to image reasons why you wouldn't
want a parachute on your aircraft, but Cirrus can name 6 reasons
why every aircraft should have a parachute system - those reasons
would be the names of the first six people who survived their
extreme in-flight emergencies who may have otherwise perished.
More on Cirrus Safety
A close look at any Cirrus aircraft quickly reveals a variety of
active and passive safety features designed to help prevent
accidents. A more in depth understanding of Cirrus aircraft yields
numerous other, less obvious but equally important safety features.
Certainly some of these features are incorporated into other
aircraft designs, however, Cirrus is not aware of any other
aircraft that is an equal representative example of the same level
of safety provided to occupants as the standard equipment provided
by Cirrus. Below is a list of some of the safety features on Cirrus
aircraft. No other manufacturer in the world has complied so many
standard features into a single aircraft under the banner of
safety.
Active Safety Features
- CAPS™ -
The Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS), standard equipment on
every Cirrus aircraft, is indicative of the visionary commitment to
general aviation safety. The parachute system is designed to
protect occupants in the event of an extreme emergency by lowering
the aircraft to the ground after deployment by the pilot. CAPS
revolutionized general aviation safety by providing a final measure
of safety to occupants similar in theory to the role of airbags in
automobiles. No other certified general aviation aircraft
manufacturer in the world provides this safety feature as standard
equipment.
- Wing Design & Enhanced Stall
Characteristics - Safety and innovation are unequivocally
evident in the wing design and its docile low-speed handling and
stall prevention characteristics. The wing is a blend of several
high-performance airfoils and is easily recognizable by the
extended leading edge section near the wing tips. At low airspeeds,
the outboard wing sections fly at a lower angle of attack than the
inboard sections. The result is exceptional roll control authority
and excellent pre-stall warning. These unique wing design features,
tested and proven by NASA, also provide an improved resistance to
spin entry during an inadvertent stall.
- CEAT™ - The proprietary Cirrus Energy
Absorbing Technology (CEAT) integrated into each Cirrus seat
protects occupants in emergency landing conditions by absorbing
energy equivalent to 26 times the force of gravity vertically and
19Gs horizontally.
- Glass Cockpit - First introduced in 2002, the
Cirrus glass cockpit includes the Avidyne 10.4" Primary Flight
Display, a 10.4" Multi-Function Display and two additional 5"
screen GPS receivers. The Cirrus glass cockpit is the first
personal aviation aircraft to have the autopilot integrated with
the PFD to provide such functions as altitude pre-select, altitude
hold and vertical speed select. The MFD displays navigation
functions for flight planning, en route, waypoint and destination
information, engine monitoring, weather (Stormscope ®), traffic
(Sky Watch®) and shaded terrain and obstacle data.
- All Electric Aircraft - The Cirrus product
line shed the antiquated vacuum pump as a backup system to power
flight instrumentation and incorporated a second and completely
segregated electrical system similar to modern technology used in
corporate, commercial and military aircraft.
- SIMPLE™ - In an effort to make flying an
aircraft more effortless, precise and enjoyable, Cirrus engineered
a proprietary design that incorporates the propeller governor lever
with the throttle lever. The result is a single lever that enables
the pilot to efficiently manage power. The system is aptly dubbed
SIMPLE (Single Movement Power Lever).
- Composite Construction - Sturdy composite
construction has a significant safety benefit in addition to being
the key contributing factor to improving aerodynamics, fit and
finish. For example, a bird strike to the leading edge of a
traditional aluminum wing may cause significant damage by damaging
the shape of the airfoil whereas a sturdy composite wing can
deflect impact or absorb more damage due to it rigid
construction.
- Role Cage - Cirrus aircraft are designed with
a 3G roll cage to support the cabin and help protect
occupants.
- Two Doors - By placing a door on each side of
the aircraft, emergency egress may be more easily
accomplished.
- Egress Hammer - In the event that the doors
cannot be opened from the inside, Cirrus equips each aircraft with
and emergent egress hammer located in the center console. The
hammer can be used to open a window to facilitate exiting the
aircraft.
- Four Point Harness - Each seat in the aircraft
is equipped with a comfortable 4-point safety harness to help keep
passengers secure.
- TKS Ice Protection - Many Cirrus aircraft are
equipped with optional TKS ice protection panels. These titanium
panels on the leading edges of the main wing and horizontal
stabilizer allow a glycol solution to be pumped through microscopic
holes to coat the leading edge so the prevent inadvertent ice build
up.
- Main Gear (40g) - The all-composite main
landing gear of the Cirrus is designed to absorb up to 40Gs. Aside
from being very resilient and forgiving upon landing, the gear
helps absorb impact in the event of a CAPS landing.
Passive Safety Features
- Visibility -
Visibility is by nature a passive safety feature because the pilot
must be able to see something in order to avoid it. The single
piece windscreen and over-sized windows provide an unobstructed
view on the ground and in the air. The low-mounted glare shield
helps the pilot keep the runway in sight during critical phases of
take off and landing.
- Side Yoke - The intuitive side yoke used in
Cirrus aircraft improves safety by providing the pilot with an
unobstructed view of critical flight instrumentation and can
prevent injury.
- Comfort - Keeping a pilot comfortable is a
contributing factor to reducing pilot fatigue and stress that can
diminish pilot performance. The 49" wide cabin with ample headroom
and legroom and luxurious seats make even the longest flight
segments comfortable for pilot to help remain alert."