Sometimes... Hitting The Silk IS The Only Option

Whole-aircraft emergency parachute manufacturer Ballistic Recovery Systems announced this week it was notified of an aircraft accident this past Sunday, October 12, in northern Spain... where its parachute recovery system saved the life of the pilot and two passengers.

According to BRS, the pilot of a Cirrus SR22, making an approach to the San Sebastian airport in northern Spain between Bilbao and the French border, encountered severe turbulence on final approach resulting in a sudden and unexpected loss of control. Upon his plane becoming inverted and realizing both the proximity of terrain and inability to regain control in time, the pilot elected to deploy his BRS parachute.

Functioning as designed, the parachute safely recovered the plane and occupants as they touched ground seconds later. All occupants walked away without a scratch. The plane sustained damage to its left wing, cockpit and left door.

"As always, when we hear of such unfortunate occurrences, we are most proud of our part in saving these aviators and their passengers," said BRS CEO and President, Larry Williams. "Our team realizes every day the enormity of their responsibilities whether sewing, inspecting, assembling, or packaging our life-saving products and that their efforts are oftentimes the only difference between life and death for a pilot and passengers in these circumstances. It’s a humbling thought which we take great pride in experiencing whenever we are notified of another save."

Since 1981, BRS has delivered more than 29,000 parachute systems to aircraft owners worldwide, including over 3,500 systems on FAA-certificated aircraft such as the Cirrus Design SR20 and SR22 manufactured in Duluth, MN. BRS says this incident marks the 215th, 216th, and 217th documented lives saved by one of its parachutes.

FMI: www.brsparachutes.com