ACCIDENT SCENE SAFETYACCIDENT SCENE SAFETY RECOGNIZE THE

PRESENCE OF A BRS SYSTEM

AVOID THE POSSIBILITY OF INADVERTENTLY INITIATING THE SYSTEM

TAKE THE NECESSARY STEPS TO DEACTIVATE THE SYSTEM

A BRIEF HISTORY…A BRIEF HISTORY…• BRS WAS FOUNDED IN 1980 BY BORIS

POPOV, WHO CREATED A WHOLE AIRCRAFT PARACHUTE RECOVERY SYSTEM FOR ULTRALIGHTS

• SINCE THEN, BRS HAS MOVED INTO EXPERIMENTAL AND GENERAL AVIATION AS WELL

• OVER 18,000 SYSTEMS SOLD – 1500 GENERAL AVIATION AIRCRAFT

AN OVERVIEWAN OVERVIEW

• HERE’S A TYPICAL ULTRALIGHT INSTALLATION

ULTRALIGHTSULTRALIGHTS

• THIS IS A BRS CANISTER SYSTEM INSTALLED ON THE UNDERSIDE OF AN ULTRALIGHT

GENERAL AVIATIONGENERAL AVIATION

• IN 1998, CIRRUS DESIGN OF DULUTH, MINNESOTA BEGAN PRODUCTION OF THE SR20 SINGLE ENGINE, 4-PLACE, COMPOSITE AIRCRAFT, WHICH WAS SOON FOLLOWED BY THE SR22. EACH CONTAINS A BRS PARACHUTE SYSTEM

• CIRRUS CALLS IT “CAPS”, OR:

CIRRUS AIRFRAME PARACHUTE SYSTEM

CIRRUS DESIGNCIRRUS DESIGN

• THE PARACHUTE IS INSTALLED BEHIND THE BAGGAGE AREA. ALSO VISIBLE HERE IS THE ROCKET MOTOR IGNITER

CIRRUS DESIGNCIRRUS DESIGN

CIRRUS DESIGNCIRRUS DESIGN• UNFORTUNATELY,

THE CIRRUS ACTIVATION CABLE IS COMPLETELY COVERED. ONE LIKELY ACCESS POINT IS ADJACENT TO THE BAGGAGE DOOR, UNDER THE HEADLINER

CESSNA 172CESSNA 172

• IN 2002, BRS RECEIVED A SUPPLEMENTAL TYPE CERTIFICATE (STC) FOR A C172 PARACHUTE SYSTEM

CESSNA 172CESSNA 172

• THE CESSNA SYTEM IS MOUNTED IN THE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT AND IS EXTRACTED THROUGH THE REAR WINDOW

CESSNA 172CESSNA 172

CESSNA 182CESSNA 182

• IN MID-2004, BRS RECEIVED AN STC FOR THE C182 SYSTEM

CESSNA 182CESSNA 182

• SHOWN DURING INSTALLATION, THIS IS THE PARACHUTE CANISTER AND ROCKET HOUSING

CESSNA 182CESSNA 182

• THE ACTIVATION CABLE CAN BE ACCESSED THROUGH THE BAGGAGE DOOR AND BEHIND THE PARACHUTE CANISTER

CESSNA 182CESSNA 182

• THIS SHOWS THE IGNITER AT THE BASE OF THE ROCKET MOUNT. THE ACTIVATION CABLE EXTENDS DOWNWARD TO THE FLOOR PAN, THEN FWD TO THE HANDLE BOX

CESSNA 150CESSNA 150

• IN THE EARLY 90’S, BRS RECEIVED AN STC FOR THE CESSNA 150/152 MODELS. NOT A GREAT NUMBER OF THESE SYSTEMS WERE FIELDED

CESSNA 150CESSNA 150

• THE C150 SYSTEM IS INSTALLED INTO THE ROOF OF THE BAGGAGE AREA. THE ROCKET IS INSIDE THIS CONTAINER.

CESSNA 150CESSNA 150

INITIATING THE SYSTEMINITIATING THE SYSTEM

• ALL BRS PARACHUTE SYSTEMS ARE EXTRACTED AND DEPLOYED THROUGH THE USE OF A SOLID PROPELLENT ROCKET MOTOR, WHICH USES A HIGHLY SAFE AND RELIABLE MECHANICAL IGNITER

• THE IGNITER IS CONNECTED VIA CABLE TO THE ACTIVATION HANDLE

ACTIVATION ASSEMBLYACTIVATION ASSEMBLY

IGNITER ASSEMBLYIGNITER ASSEMBLY• THE BRS

MECHANICAL IGNITER DOES NOT USE STORED ENERGY. THE SPRING IS NOT COMPRESSED PRIOR TO THE ACTIVATION SEQUENCE

IGNITER INTERNALSIGNITER INTERNALS

BRS 600/900 MOTORSBRS 600/900 MOTORS• USED ON GENERAL AVIATION OR

HEAVIER SPORT AIRCRAFT

BRS 300/400 SERIESBRS 300/400 SERIESROCKET MOTORROCKET MOTOR

• USED ON ULTRALIGHT AIRCRAFT

SPORT SYSTEM LAUNCH TUBESPORT SYSTEM LAUNCH TUBE

OFTEN ATTACHED DIRECTLY TO THE PARACHUTE BOX OR CANISTER

OLD “ISP” MOTOROLD “ISP” MOTOR

• FOUND ONLY ON PRE-1998 ULTRALIGHT AIRCRAFT

DROGUE GUNDROGUE GUN

• OBSOLETED

IN 1988

• THE DROGUE GUN USED A PROPELLANT CHARGE TO FIRE A HEAVY STEEL WEIGHT. KINETIC ENERGY PULLED THE PARACHUTE OUT

LARGE BRS MOTOR IN LAUNCH LARGE BRS MOTOR IN LAUNCH TUBETUBE

• AS FOUND ON CIRRUS, CESSNA AND LARGE SPORT AIRCRAFT

BRS CANISTER MODELBRS CANISTER MODELWITH LAUNCH TUBEWITH LAUNCH TUBE

BRS SOFT PACK MODELBRS SOFT PACK MODEL

VERTICAL LAUNCH SYSTEMVERTICAL LAUNCH SYSTEM(VLS)(VLS)

THE CORE ISSUE:THE CORE ISSUE:

• AN AIRCRAFT HAS CRASHED, WHICH OFTEN RESULTS IN THE ROCKET FIRING UPON IMPACT. HOWEVER, IN CERTAIN INSTANCES, THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN, LEAVING A LIVE ROCKET, ATTACHED TO THE ACTUATING CABLE, IN THE MIDST OF A TWISTED WRECKAGE.

CIRRUS SR20/22CIRRUS SR20/22

THE PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE:THE PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE:

FIRST SUCCESSFUL USE OF THE “CAPS” SYSTEM BY A CIRRUS PILOT, LIONEL MORRISON, OCTOBER 2002

N116CD – IMPACT WITH TERRAINN116CD – IMPACT WITH TERRAIN

PARACHUTE AND ROCKETPARACHUTE AND ROCKET

RECOGNITIONRECOGNITION• WHEN YOU ARRIVE AT AN ACCIDENT

SCENE AND CIRCUMSTANCES ALLOW YOU TO APPROACH THE WRECKAGE, LOOK FOR ANY OF THE THREE MAJOR BRS SYSTEM COMPONENTS:

• PARACHUTE PACK

• ROCKET

• ACTIVATION HANDLE

CLEAR AN AREACLEAR AN AREA

• ONE OF THE STICKERS ON THE LAUNCH TUBE ADVISES “TREAT LIKE A LOADED GUN”. WITH THAT IN MIND, CLEAR A 90 DEGREE AREA LYING IN THE PATH OF THE ROCKET, EXTENDING 100 FEET OUT, IF POSSIBLE

ASCERTAIN:ASCERTAIN:

• DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THE CRASH HAS CAUSED THE ROCKET TO FIRE. TYPICALLY, YOU WILL SEE THAT THE PARACHUTE HAS BEEN PULLED FROM ITS CONTAINER.

• IN VIOLENT CRASHES, IT IS VERY COMMON FOR THE ROCKET TO HAVE FIRED.

WHY DOES THE ROCKET FIRE WHY DOES THE ROCKET FIRE DURING IMPACT?DURING IMPACT?

• DURING A VIOLENT CRASH, THE AIRFRAME SUBSTANTIALLY DEFORMS OR IS OTHERWISE DESTROYED. AS A RESULT, THE CABLE JOINING THE ROCKET MOTOR TO THE HANDLE IS STRETCHED TO THE POINT THAT THE IGNITER IS FUNCTIONED AND THE ROCKET FIRES.

ROCKET HAS NOT FIREDROCKET HAS NOT FIRED• YOU’VE DETERMINED THAT THE

ROCKET HAS NOT FIRED. THEN…

• DETERMINE THAT THE ACTUATING CABLE IS NOT STRETCHED TIGHTLY BETWEEN THE ROCKET AND THE HANDLE. THIS IS EXTREMELY UNLIKELY, BUT COULD PRESENT A SITUATION IN WHICH THE IGNITER IS ON THE BRINK OF BEING FIRED.

REPLACING THE SAFETY PINREPLACING THE SAFETY PIN

• LOCATE THE ACTIVATION HANDLE

• PLACE A 3/16” DIA. PIN INTO THE SAFETY PIN HOLE

SAFING PROCEDURESAFING PROCEDURE

YOU CAN NOW PROCEED TO DO

ONE OF TWO THINGS:

1. DISCONNECT THE CABLE FROM THE IGNITER, OR

2. CUT THE CABLE ITSELF USING A SUITABLE TOOL.

DISCONNECT CABLEDISCONNECT CABLE

• REMOVE THE CAP PLUG THAT HIDES THE ATTACHING SCREW

• USING A 1/8 INCH ALLEN KEY, REMOVE THE MACHINE SCREW THAT SECURES THE CABLE TO THE IGNITER

CABLE TO IGNITER ATTACHMENTCABLE TO IGNITER ATTACHMENT

CABLE TO IGNITER ATTACHMENTCABLE TO IGNITER ATTACHMENT

SEVER THE CABLESEVER THE CABLE

• IN A CIRRUS OR CESSNA, THIS IS OFTEN THE MOST STRAIGHT- FORWARD METHOD. EXPOSE A SECTION OF THE ACTIVATION CABLE, PREFERABLY NEAR THE ROCKET AND CUT IT WITH A SUITABLE TOOL SUCH AS A FELCO CUTTER

THE FELCO CUTTERTHE FELCO CUTTER

• THIS IS THE SMALLER FELCO CUTTER – THEY MAKE SEVERAL SIZES, AS DOES THE GREENLEE TOOL COMPANY, DIVISION OF TEXTRON

ALTERNATE APPROACH:ALTERNATE APPROACH:

• SOME AGENCIES HAVE TAKEN THE POSITION THAT DEACTIVATING A BRS SYSTEM IS BEST LEFT TO EXPERTS AND THEREFORE RECOMMEND CONTACTING THE LOCAL BOMB SQUAD. WE LEAVE THIS DECISION UP TO THE AUTHORITIES IN CHARGE AT THE SCENE OF AN ACCIDENT

DISPOSAL OF ROCKETDISPOSAL OF ROCKET

• THE SMALLER ULTRALIGHT MOTOR IS RELATIVELY EASY AND SAFE TO DISPOSE OF. UPON REQUEST, BRS WILL PROVIDE THE NECESSARY INFORMATION.

• THE LARGER GENERAL AVIATION ROCKET MUST BE HANDLED IN A MORE EXACTING MANNER. CONTACT BRS FOR INFORMATION

IN CLOSINGIN CLOSING• A PRIMARY CONSIDERATION IN THE

DESIGN OF BRS SYSTEMS IS SAFETY. BY BEING OBSERVANT AND EXERCISING CAUTION IN DEALING WITH AN UN-ACTIVATED SYSTEM, THE CHANCES OF AN INADVERTENT FIRING ARE ALMOST NIL. HOWEVER, SHOULD YOU ENCOUNTER THIS SITUATION, DO NOT HESITATE TO CONTACT BRS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. THANK YOU.

CALL:CALL:

• FOR FURTHER ASSISTANCE, CONTACT BRS:

• OFFICE HOURS (CENTRAL TIME)

651-457-7491

• AFTER HOURS

763-226-6110

DEFINING AVIATION DEFINING AVIATION SAFETYSAFETY

ANOTHER ANOTHER LEVEL OF LEVEL OF SECURITYSECURITY