CAPS - What is it, and when should I use it?
Cirrus Aircraft are designed for safety. A very important safety feature of all Cirrus Aircraft is the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System. CAPS is a whole-plane ballistic parachute recovery system, designed specifically for Cirrus Aircraft’s line of planes.
Collisions and accidents in flight, while rare, do happen. Ensuring the safety of pilot, passengers and anyone on the ground is essential. CAPS is a revolutionary development in aircraft safety that has proven to be a feature that is gold standard in the industry. In an emergency, a pilot can quickly implement the CAPS system to help protect all people inside the aircraft and guarantee slow descent to the Earth.
What is the CAPS system?
CAPS is a ballistic parachute designed specifically for the Cirrus Design SR2X fleet and certified by the FAA. The parachute recovery system rocket propels a parachute attached to the frame of the entire aircraft to protect all occupants as the aircraft slowly descends to the ground. With the parachute, CAPS has been proven to save more lives in emergency situations, proving it to be the ultimate backup.
How Does CAPS Work?
The CAPS system is designed to be easy to use for pilots flying cirrus aircraft by quickly pulling the CAPS handle located right at the aircraft's ceiling, unlocking the parachute. Within seconds, the ballistic rocket-fired parachute will unfold, and the aircraft will begin slowing its descent toward the ground. The rocket helps to ensure the parachute unfolds despite the aircraft's altitude, spin, or inversion.
The CAPS system, once deployed, begins to descend at about 22 feet per second. As the aircraft lands, the shock of the landing is absorbed by special landing gear and by the specially engineered Cirrus Energy Absorbing Technology (CEAT ™) seats. The features are designed to focus on the safety of the occupants within the aircraft.
When Should CAPS be used?
When the safety of the flight is threatened, Cirrus recommends deploying CAPS as soon as possible with the idea that the earlier the pull, the more likely the passengers and pilot will remain safe. Pilots should initiate CAPS when an engine fails, there is a loss of control of the aircraft, midair collisions, and a passenger should pull CAPS if the pilot has become incapacitated. Safety training or explanation of the CAPS system to passengers is essential before a flight.
Pilots must go through training to work through when to deploy the CAPS system and the knowledge behind troubleshooting. CAPS requires minimum altitude to inflate the parachute properly. If the aircraft is under 500 ft, land straight ahead or activate CAPS immediately if no other survivable alternative exists. Pilots should deploy CAPS immediately if the aircraft is under 2000 ft in an emergency. Over 2000 feet, pilots should troubleshoot if they can before deploying CAPS.
Flying an aircraft with CAPS installed has a 13 times more likely chance of survival and has been able to save over 200 people as of May 2021, and the number continues to grow.
TEAM Aviation offers CAPS training in their ALSIM SR20 Simulator. This offers valuable experience with the CAPS system, allowing students an opportunity to practice pulling the parachute, and simulating the glide to the ground in a safe environment.
TEAM Aviation is a flying school based in SEQ specializing in private aviation using modern, safe and advanced Cirrus Aircraft. If you are interested in learning to fly, contact TEAM Aviation to learn more.
