Originally Posted by
BackPacker
Just wondering. How many CAPS deployments in recent years were done due to inadvertent spins? I can't remember any, but then again I'm not keeping a detailed track of this.
Interesting question is whether a loss of control is a spin or if a spin is a loss of control? Dunno if accident investigators are that precise in determining the kind of loss of control.
As for CAPS pulls after a spin, yes, the Indianapolis, IN, accident in 2006 involved a 3-1/2 turn spin (NTSB report
here).
The flight data was recovered from the avionics. The plane was in the spin for over 15 seconds and had been in a mushed state for 30 more seconds prior to that. The parachute activation was determined to be at 528' AGL, just 4 seconds prior to impact into a shallow pond. The recorded data showed that the airspeed declined from 100 knots to 67 knots in those 4 seconds. The pilot died from blunt force trauma to the head. The activation was done by the pilot's son in the right seat after the pilot's wife in the back seat suggested the parachute at least 3 times, according to the witness interviews with the accident investigator.
Just 4 seconds earlier and the impact would likely have been at 17 knots and survivable.
Cheers
Rick