Parachute Deployment Saves Pilot and Plane in Oklahoma When
Fuel Line Fails
The pilot of a Flightstar Ultralight powered by a Rotax 447, by
all reports, considered last Sunday an ideal day for flying until
his aircraft's motor began to sputter. Instead of panicking at 800
feet, Ron Elrod, a 56-year-old Shawnee, Oklahoma attorney, deployed
his BRS parachute. Seconds later, Elrod's plane landed safely in
wooded terrain one mile south of Tecumseh (OK). After a frantic
3-hour search and rescue, Elrod was found by local law enforcement
and walked away from the incident without suffering any major
injuries to himself or his plane. "It is my opinion that had I not
deployed the BRS unit, I would not have survived this crash,"
stated Elrod. "The device saved my life."