ACCIDENT SCENE SAFETY

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ACCIDENT 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

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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

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AN OVERVIEW

• HERES A TYPICAL ULTRALIGHT INSTALLATION

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ULTRALIGHTS

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

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GENERAL 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

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• CIRRUS CALLS IT CAPS, OR
• CIRRUS AIRFRAME PARACHUTE SYSTEM

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CIRRUS DESIGN

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

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CIRRUS DESIGN
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CIRRUS DESIGN

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

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CESSNA 172

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

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CESSNA 172

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

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CESSNA 172
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CESSNA 182

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

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CESSNA 182

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

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CESSNA 182

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

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CESSNA 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

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CESSNA 150

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

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CESSNA 150

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

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CESSNA 150
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INITIATING 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

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ACTIVATION ASSEMBLY
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IGNITER ASSEMBLY

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

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IGNITER INTERNALS
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(No Transcript)
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BRS 600/900 MOTORS

• USED ON GENERAL AVIATION OR
• HEAVIER SPORT AIRCRAFT

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BRS 300/400 SERIESROCKET MOTOR

• USED ON ULTRALIGHT AIRCRAFT

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SPORT SYSTEM LAUNCH TUBE

• OFTEN ATTACHED DIRECTLY TO THE PARACHUTE BOX OR
  CANISTER

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OLD ISP MOTOR

• FOUND ONLY ON PRE-1998 ULTRALIGHT AIRCRAFT

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DROGUE GUN

• OBSOLETED
• IN 1988

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

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LARGE BRS MOTOR IN LAUNCH TUBE

• AS FOUND ON CIRRUS, CESSNA
• AND LARGE SPORT AIRCRAFT

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BRS CANISTER MODELWITH LAUNCH TUBE
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BRS SOFT PACK MODEL
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VERTICAL LAUNCH SYSTEM(VLS)
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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.

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CIRRUS SR20/22
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THE PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE

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

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N116CD IMPACT WITH TERRAIN
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PARACHUTE AND ROCKET
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(No Transcript)
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RECOGNITION

• 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

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CLEAR 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

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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.

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WHY DOES THE ROCKET FIRE 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.

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ROCKET HAS NOT FIRED

• YOUVE 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.

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REPLACING THE SAFETY PIN

• LOCATE THE ACTIVATION HANDLE

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

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SAFING PROCEDURE

• YOU CAN NOW PROCEED TO DO
• ONE OF TWO THINGS
• DISCONNECT THE CABLE FROM THE IGNITER, OR
• CUT THE CABLE ITSELF USING A SUITABLE TOOL.

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DISCONNECT 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

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CABLE TO IGNITER ATTACHMENT
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CABLE TO IGNITER ATTACHMENT
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SEVER 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

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THE FELCO CUTTER

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

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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

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DISPOSAL 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

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IN 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.

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CALL

• FOR FURTHER ASSISTANCE, CONTACT BRS
• OFFICE HOURS (CENTRAL TIME)
• 651-457-7491
• AFTER HOURS
• 763-226-6110

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DEFINING AVIATION SAFETY
ANOTHER LEVEL OF SECURITY