Cirrus SR22 ballistic parachute lawsuit

[Cyclic Hotline]

This is the NTSB report referenced. (http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20020502X00613&key=1)

Ballistic Recovery Systems, Inc., Named in Product Liability Lawsuits

Tuesday August 19, 6:34 pm ET

SOUTH ST. PAUL, Minn., Aug. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Ballistic Recovery Systems, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: BRSI - News) announced today that they have been named, along with Cirrus Design Corporation and Wings Aloft, Inc., in two product liability lawsuits filed in the United States District Court, Northern District of New York, related to a Cirrus Design Corporation Model SR22 aircraft accident that crashed in Parish, New York on April 24, 2002, resulting in two fatalities.

The Company intends to review the claims made in the lawsuits and the facts surrounding the accident, including any reports made by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) relating to the accident and respond appropriately.

About Ballistic Recovery Systems, Inc.

Ballistic Recovery Systems, Inc. designs, manufactures and distributes rocket deployed whole-aircraft emergency parachute systems for use on general aviation and recreational aircraft. The emergency parachute systems are intended for use in the event of an in-air emergency and are designed to bring down the entire aircraft and its occupants under the parachute canopy.

[Flyin'Dutch']

Have to see what happens here.

However it seems that if no attempt was made at deploying the BRS there may well be little redress.

The Cirrus POH emphasises that in the event of a spin the BRS should be deployed.

FD

[dublinpilot]

I presume what they would be claiming, is that the pilots would have attempted to deploy the chute, but it failed to deploy.

Though how they could prove that they made such an attempt, I don't know. And if the chute was functional afterwards (possible not functional due to the crash), then they would surely have very little claim.

[IO540]

Last time I was inside a Cirrus, there was a large velcro panel which has to be peeled off to expose the operating lever, and the lever needs a fair old yank to activate the parachute. The activation starts with a "rocket" which bursts out through the fibreglass (which presumably is specially thinned) in the top of the aircraft. So it ought to be evident how far the pilot got in activating the parachute.

But I don't see how a parachute will help with a spin in the only place where any pilot should ever get anywhere near a spin: the base-final turn, perhaps as low as 500ft agl. In that sense, it would appear, the parachute is there only to avoid the certification issues.

[Flyin'Dutch']

The POH is very clear about this and anyone flying a Cirrus should have been instructed on how to use it too.

I have not had the factory training but am sure that there will be a fair amount of emphasis on this in the training which you get when you go and collect it. There certainly was when I got checked out over here.

Have not read the entire report but in the summary no mention was made about an attempt to use it.

We'll wait and see what happens.

FD

[andrewc]

IO-540

According to the flight manual the parachute will
deploy in ~900 feet of spinning descent, which is
faster than a normal by controls spin recovery
but probably not fast enough for someone who
does this at circuit height.

The investigators should have been able to tell whether
the parachute was cooked off by the post-crash fire
or there was an attempt to operate it which failed
to save the aircraft.

-- Andrew

[Flyin'Dutch']

Further news on this site:

Cirrus/BRS Lawsuit (http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archives/avflash/124-full.html#185617)

FD

[B2N2]

Will keep track of this one.. will see how this turns out.
Read the NTSB report, unfortunately it reads a little like two buddies showing off their flying skills to each other.
We'll never now, but I personally do not believe in planes that cannot spin or will not spin or are meant to be spinresistant.
I've been upside down in those once too many already.
The SR22 manual seems to state not to waste any time trying to recover from anything that seems to be a "departure" .