12 September 2022
A Cirrus Vision Jet has made the first deployment of its Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) – saving the pilot and two passengers in the process.
The Vision Jet went through rigorous testing during development and certification, and Vision Jet pilots train in a simulator to use CAPS, but this is the first time it’s been used in anger, confirmed Cirrus Aircraft.
The incident happened on approach to Kissimmee Gateway Airport (KISM) in Florida last Friday, on the edge of Lake Tohopekaliga. The weather is reported as being poor with a thunderstorm in the vicinity.
It’s a heavily wooded area and photos by the local sheriff’s office show the aircraft in trees. Chainsaws were needed to reach the crash site and firefighters said the aircraft landed in roughly two feet of water.
Reports on the condition of the occupants vary. According to Aviation Safety Network, one occupant was seriously injured, and two of the three occupants received minor injuries.
The video below shows how the CAPS system works on the Vision Jet.
? This afternoon at approximately 3 p.m., @OSCFR, working with assistance from the @StCloudFireDept and @OsceolaSheriff, responded to a single-engine small plane crash on the east side of lake Toho, south of the City of St. Cloud.? pic.twitter.com/49wDSEmss5
— Osceola County Fire Rescue & EMS (@OSCFR) September 9, 2022
