Engineering:Cirrus Airframe Parachute System

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Short description: Aircraft parachute system
1998 NASA photo series showing CAPS deployment during inflight testing of the Cirrus SR20

The Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) is a whole-plane ballistic parachute recovery system designed specifically for Cirrus Aircraft's line of general aviation light aircraft including the SR20, SR22 and SF50. The design became the first of its kind to become certified with the FAA, achieving certification in October 1998, and as of 2022 was the only aircraft ballistic parachute used as standard equipment by an aviation company.[N 1][2][3]

Developed as a collaboration between Cirrus and Ballistic Recovery Systems (BRS),[3] it was adapted from the GARD (General Aviation Recovery Device) initially released for the Cessna 150.[4] As in other BRS systems, a small solid-fuel rocket housed in the aft fuselage is used to pull the parachute out from its housing and deploy the canopy full within seconds. The goal of employing this system is the survival of the crew and passengers and not necessarily the prevention of damage to the airframe.

History

Design and development

Since the landing gear and firewall are a part of the structure designed to be crushed for energy absorption during impact after parachute deployment, Cirrus originally thought that the airframe would be damaged beyond repair on ground-impact, but the first aircraft to deploy (N1223S)[5] landed in mesquite and was not badly damaged. Cirrus bought the airframe back, repaired it, and used it as a demo plane.[6]

Dating back to the first conception of the Cirrus SR20 in the early 1990s, the aircraft was intended to come equipped with CAPS.[7] Because of this, Cirrus designed a special kind of "spin resistant" wing (or leading edge cuff) for the SR20, a concept originally developed at NASA Langley, which makes it more difficult for the plane to enter a spin. However, increasing the difficulty of entering a spin inherently makes it more difficult to recover from one if a spin does occur.[7][8] The FAA accepted the parachute as a sufficient mode of spin recovery and complete spin testing was not required. Although, in 2004, Cirrus completed a limited series of spin recovery tests to meet European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) requirements, and no unusual characteristics were found.[9][10]

Vision Jet

The first jet with a ballistic parachute, the Cirrus Vision SF50 single-engine jet was certified in October 2016 with CAPS (where it deploys from the nose of the aircraft instead of the aft cabin).[11] Despite the FAA not requiring Cirrus to test the device since it was not necessary for certification, Business Insider released video in May 2017 showing CAPS being tested inflight with a piloted SF50 prototype.[12]

In 2018, Cirrus won the Collier Trophy for the Vision Jet, due in part to the aircraft's inclusion of CAPS. The award is presented annually for "the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America, with respect to improving the performance, efficiency, and safety of air or space vehicles".[13]

Background

The inspiration for CAPS came from a mid-air collision in 1985 that Cirrus co-founder Alan Klapmeier survived, where his plane lost more than three feet of wing including half the aileron; the pilot in the other aircraft spiraled into the ground and was killed. From this experience, Alan and his brother Dale (also a company co-founder) decided to implement a device on all their future Cirrus models that would give the pilot and passengers a way out in the worst-case scenario.[7][14][15][16] These efforts contributed to the Klapmeier brothers' 2014 induction into the National Aviation Hall of Fame.[16]

The Cirrus engineering & design team, led by Paul Johnston, started developing CAPS on the SR20 in Duluth, Minnesota, during the mid-1990s. It was first tested in 1998 over the high desert of southern California by Air National Guard F-16 pilot and Cirrus chief test pilot, Scott D. Anderson.[17] Anderson completed all seven of the in-flight test deployments of CAPS for development and certification of the SR20.[18][19]

Operational history

The first emergency deployment occurred in 2002 over Lewisville, Texas; one pilot of a Cirrus SR22 was uninjured.[20][21] The first emergency deployment in a Vision Jet occurred in 2022 near Kissimmee, Florida; two occupants were uninjured while a third had "non life-threatening injuries".[22][23][24]

As of 21 September 2021, CAPS had been activated 126 times, 107 of which saw successful parachute deployment. In those successful deployments, there were 220 survivors and one death. No deaths had occurred when the parachute was deployed within the certified speed and altitude parameters, and two anomalous unsuccessful deployments had occurred within those parameters. Some other accidental deployments were reported, as caused by ground impact or post-impact fires.[25] As of 24 October 2019, 21 of the aircraft that had deployed CAPS had been repaired and put back into service.[26]

Since 2011, which saw 16 deadly crashes of SR-series aircraft, the series has seen more CAPS deployments and steadily fewer deadly accidents, giving them one of the best safety records in the industry. This was attributed to a new approach to training, particularly in when and how to deploy the parachute system.[27][28][29]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Flying Icon's A5 LSA seaplane". General Aviation News. https://generalaviationnews.com/2015/12/14/flying-icons-a5-lsa-seaplane/#:~:text=Speaking%20of%20the%20airframe%20parachute,for%20U.S.%2Dregistered%20A5%20aircraft.&text=No%20airplane%20ever%20designed%20is,buyer%20and%20neither%20is%20A5.. Retrieved 2021-05-03. 
  2. ↑ "Getting Cirrus about Aircraft Parachutes". http://www.businessaircraftcenter.com/articles/small-aircraft-safety-crash-prevention-danbury-airport-art0313.htm. Retrieved 2014-10-26. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Whole Aircraft Rescue Parachute Systems". https://brsaerospace.com. Retrieved 2021-05-01. 
  4. ↑ "BRS to offer parachute system for Cessna 150". http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/brs-to-offer-parachute-system-for-cessna-150-123215/. 
  5. ↑ National Transportation Safety Board (October 2002). "NTSB Accident Identification: FTW03LA005". Archived from the original on 18 September 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120918013307/https://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief.aspx?ev_id=20021008X05290&key=1. Retrieved 2008-12-14. 
  6. ↑ National Transportation Safety Board (September 2004). "NTSB Accident Identification: CHI04FA255". Archived from the original on 19 October 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20121019091943/https://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief.aspx?ev_id=20040914X01426&key=1. Retrieved 2008-02-06. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "An Introduction From Dale Klapmeier, Cirrus Co-Founder". http://kineticlearning.com/pilots_world/safety/06_05/article_06_04.html. Retrieved 21 August 2016. 
  8. ↑ "Interview with a Cirrus Design Engineer". http://kineticlearning.com/pilots_world/safety/06_05/article_06_03.html. Retrieved 21 August 2016. 
  9. ↑ WhyCirrus.com. "CAPS and Stall/Spin". http://whycirrus.com/engineering/stall-spin.aspx. Retrieved 2016-08-21. 
  10. ↑ Cirrus Stall Spin Report (March 2004). "Cirrus Design SR 20". http://www.peter2000.co.uk/aviation/misc/3-105960-Cirrusstall-spinreport.pdf. Retrieved 2016-08-21. 
  11. ↑ "Cirrus Earns Vision Jet Certification". AOPA. 31 October 2016. https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2016/october/31/cirrus-earns-vision-jet-certification. Retrieved 2016-11-01. 
  12. ↑ Justin Gmoser and Benjamin Zhang (26 May 2017). "At under $2 million this is the cheapest private jet in the world". Business Insider. http://www.businessinsider.com/cirrus-vision-cheapest-private-jet-built-in-parachute-two-million-2017-5. Retrieved 2017-06-05. 
  13. ↑ "Cirrus Aircraft Vision Jet to be awarded the 2017 Robert J. Collier Trophy" (PDF) (Press release). NAA. April 4, 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 5, 2018. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  14. ↑ Karlgaard, Rich (October 2006). "What Caused Cory Lidle's Crash?". Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/forbes/2006/1113/053.html. Retrieved 2014-10-26. 
  15. ↑ "General Aviation Heroes Part IV - Dale and Alan Klapmeier of Cirrus Design". http://www.maxtrescott.com/max_trescott_on_general_a/2009/04/general-aviation-heroes-part-iv-dale-and-alan-klapmeier-of-cirrus-design.html. Retrieved 26 October 2014. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Fallows, James (January 2015). "The Parachute That Saved a Plane". The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2015/01/amazing-footage-of-a-small-plane-being-rescued-by-a-cruise-ship-and-a-parachute/384837/. Retrieved 2015-01-26. 
  17. ↑ Fallows, James (June 2001). "Freedom of the Skies". The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/past/docs/issues/2001/06/fallows.htm. Retrieved 2014-07-16. 
  18. ↑ Fallows, James (November 21, 1999). "Turn Left at Cloud 109". The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/1999/11/21/magazine/turn-left-at-cloud-109.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm. Retrieved 2014-10-26. 
  19. ↑ Higdon, Dave (March 31, 1999). "Cirrus SR20 demonstrator kills test pilot in prison crash". Flighglobal. http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/cirrus-sr20-demonstrator-kills-test-pilot-in-prison-49656/. Retrieved 2014-10-26. 
  20. ↑ Goyer, Robert (August 2010). "After Ten Years, Cirrus Chute Controversy Persists". Flying. Archived from the original on 2014-10-26. https://web.archive.org/web/20141026150049/http://www.flyingmag.com/blogs/going-direct/after-10-years-cirrus-chute-controversy-persists. Retrieved 2014-10-26. 
  21. ↑ Duluth Budgeteer staff (October 2002). "Cirrus parachute deploys, saves pilot". Duluth Budgeteer. http://www.duluthbudgeteer.com/content/cirrus-parachute-deploys-saves-pilot. Retrieved 2016-03-13. 
  22. ↑ Boatman, Julie (September 10, 2022). "Cirrus Vision Jet Pilot Pulls Chute in Florida". Flying. https://www.flyingmag.com/cirrus-vision-jet-pilot-pulls-chute-in-florida/. Retrieved 2022-09-11. 
  23. ↑ Gordon, Gilbert (September 12, 2022). "Parachute Deployed in Crash of Cirrus Jet". AINonline. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2022-09-12/parachute-deployed-crash-cirrus-jet. Retrieved 2022-09-14. 
  24. ↑ "First CAPS 'pull' for Cirrus Vision Jet saves three". Flyer. September 12, 2022. https://flyer.co.uk/feature/first-caps-save-for-cirrus-vision-jet/. Retrieved 2022-09-14. 
  25. ↑ "CAPS Event History". Cirrus Owners and Pilots Association. 21 September 2021. https://www.cirruspilots.org/Safety/CAPS-Event-History. Retrieved 5 April 2022. 
  26. ↑ Cirrus Owners and Pilots Association (24 Oct 2019). "Cirrus CAPS History". https://www.cirruspilots.org/copa/safety_programs/w/safety_pages/723.cirrus-caps-history.aspx. Retrieved 5 April 2022. 
  27. ↑ Zimmerman, John (11 February 2015). "Fatal Cirrus crashes are way down – thank the parachute". Air Facts. http://airfactsjournal.com/2015/02/fatal-cirrus-crashes-way-thank-parachute/. Retrieved 21 August 2016. 
  28. ↑ Hirschman, Dave (24 July 2016). "How Cirrus Radically Reduced Fatal Accidents". AOPA. https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2016/july/24/how-cirrus-reduced-accidents. Retrieved 21 August 2016. 
  29. ↑ McLaughlin, Nancy (8 March 2019). "'It's like hitting concrete': Greensboro men recount plane crash into Atlantic". greensboro.com. https://www.greensboro.com/news/local_news/it-s-like-hitting-concrete-greensboro-men-recount-plane-crash/article_00b838af-d4ac-556d-9224-a3db2112bc4a.html. Retrieved 15 March 2019. 

Notes

  1. ↑ The ICON A5 includes a ballistic parachute as standard only for models registered in the United States.[1]

External links



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