Cop, Bystanders Pull Survivors From Burning Cirrus

It will be properly recognized as a Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) "save" but the occupants of an SR22 in California more accurately owe their lives to the heroics of a state highway patrol member and a couple of bystanders. The California Highway Patrol member, identified in a news release as Officer Ayala, had a motorist pulled over on Highway 101 in Santa Barbara when he saw the plane come down under the CAPS canopy. “Abandoning the stop, Officer Ayala raced to the scene, jumped a chain-link fence and found the injured pilot crawling from the burning aircraft,” CHP wrote. “As fire spread, he pulled the pilot to safety just moments before the plane exploded.”


This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/cop-bystanders-pull-survivors-from-burning-cirrus

Well done!

It’s good to see the bravery on the cop’s and the citizens’ part. I’m glad to read about that. Too bad for the Cirrus, but that can be replaced. I’m glad it fell on open ground.

I wonder why the chute was pulled? Which came first the fire or the chute?

Does anyone know what the the Cirrus POH emergency procedure says about in flight fire and the chute? Particularly fire in the cockpit vs. engine or wing fire?

I’d think a high speed emergency decent and landing would be indicated over a slow ride down on a canopy, but I don’t know.

Fire and chutes don’t mix well.

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Not for long at any rate…

The caps was activated. the aircraft landed nose down. the fire started soon afterward.
A local news article;

This may be the first CAPS activation that almost killed the pilot and passenger.!

No ---- I remember an awful event where a Cirrus lost the engine and the pilot (dad with his teenage son) headed for a road. He did pull the parachute but it flamed, and when he drew close to the road the parachute was snagged on a street light and ripped the plane apart and both were killed.

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