A Ballistic Parachute Recovery System (BPRS) is a fancy name for a parachute attached to an aircraft that can save lives when there is an uncommanded loss of engine power or the aircraft enters a spin. But on the ground, the undeployed BPRS can be dangerous due to the rocket that fires to deploy the parachute.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Office of Aviation Safety has released a new safety alert—On-Scene Hazards of Ballistic Parachute Recovery Systems—to help pilots and first responders recognize and address the potential danger.
BPRS are available as after-market equipment on some aircraft and standard equipment on others, with the most famously parachute-equipped airplanes being the Cirrus line. When the Cirrus SR20 debuted in 1998, it became known as the “airplane with the built-in parachute,” making the airplane particularly popular when the pilot has a non-flying spouse who fears incapacitation. How to deploy the parachute in an emergency is part of the passenger briefing for the Cirrus.
When the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) is deployed, the entire aircraft and its occupants float to the ground, lessening the chances of serious injury as opposed to a nonpilot attempting to land the aircraft or the pilot looking for a place to land in inhospitable terrain.
But sometimes the pilot opts to attempt to land the aircraft and crashes. And the parachute, which is usually activated by the pilot pulling a red T-handle inside the cockpit, may not activate on impact.
The NTSB warns first responders to approach aircraft cautiously and look for the triangular warning label on the fuselage that may indicate where the rocket would depart the aircraft. “If you see such a label avoid the area,” the NTSB warning stated.
First responders and rescuers also need to avoid cutting the activation cable of the BPRS when trying to access the interior of the fuselage to free someone.
“If you need to cut the cable, be aware that this could activate the rocket,” the NTSB said. “All nonessential personnel should be cleared from the area, and essential personnel should identify and remain clear of the BPRS rocket tube.”
The agency added that if the BPRS did not fire, the activation cable running along the fuselage of an equipped airplane may be under tension and near its breaking point, which could activate the rocket at any time. Additionally, if the parachute is not deployed, rescuers should avoid moving the red T-handle in the cockpit as this is what activates the parachute, firing the rocket.
Usually the T-handle requires a specific amount of force to activate the rocket. On the Cirrus SR20 and SR22, for example, the T-handle is located on the ceiling of the cockpit, and to get the force necessary to activate the PBRS, you need to remove the safety pin and grasp the handle as if doing a chin-up.
Once a BPRS is identified on scene, the NTSB said to immediately contact the agency at the 24/7 Response Operations Center at 844-373-9922 and notify it that a BPRS has been identified at an aircraft accident site. An on-call regional duty officer will assist in contacting the manufacturer.
The Cirrus safety information webpage or the BRS Aerospace safety iInformation webpage provides instructions on how to disable a rocket and offers support with those rockets manufactured by the companies. However, there are other manufacturers as well.
“Identity and notify” the NTSB stated.
If the wreckage is on fire, the agency said this can also activate the rocket. Airport managers often keep tabs on which hangars house aircraft equipped with BPRS in the event there is a fire in the buildings.
In addition, care must also be taken if the parachute system is deployed and still attached to the crashed airplane. The NTSB warns not to enter the aircraft until the chute has completely collapsed as a gust of wind may drag the aircraft.
All Cirrus airplanes have CAPS installed, and similar systems—such as BRS Aerospace—are widely used on other types of airplanes, including Cessna 172s and C-182s as an after-market option.
About the BRS Aerospace
BRS Aerospace was created in 1980 by Boris Popov in Saint Paul, Minnesota, as Ballistic Recovery Systems. Popov was inspired by a 1975 accident where he survived a 400-foot fall in a partially collapsed hang glider.
He created the Whole Aircraft Recovery Parachute System (WARPS), designed to lower the entire aircraft to the ground in the event of an in-flight emergency such as structural failure or loss of control, such as a spin.
Popov collaborated with Minnesota-based Cirrus Aircraft to develop the first Recovery Parachute System to be used on a line of type-certified aircraft. It first appeared in 1998 in the Cirrus SR20, followed by the Cirrus SR22 in 2001.
According to CirrusPilot.org as of December 2025 there have been 144 saves with 290 survivors in aircraft equipped with CAPS.
