13 April 2004
In two separate incidents pilots have used the CAPS (Cirrus Airframe Parachute System) in their Cirrus aircraft to bring a gentler end to flights that had started to go seriously wrong. In the first incident Albert Kolk was flying at night over the Monashee mountains in Canada when the aircraft apparently departed controlled flight due to severe turbulence. The four occupants of the SR20, three adults and one child, were all uninjured after the aircraft came to rest on a wooded slope.
Less than 36 hours later Jeff Ippoliti, a founder member of COPA (Cirrus Owners and Pilots Association), took off from Fort Lauderdale Executive into IFR conditions after collecting the aircraft from a service centre. It is then reported that Ippoliti suffered multiple instrument failures in IMC conditions. The experienced SR22 pilot reduced power, cut the engine and pulled the airframe ‘chute, coming to rest in a local park.
Outside of flight testing the CAPS system has now been deployed three times in emergency situations.
<a href=”http://www.cirrusaircraft.co.uk” target=”_blank”>Cirrus Aircraft UK</a>
<a href=”http://www.cirruspilots.org/” target=”_blank”>COPA</a>
