A single-engine Cirrus SR22 suffered engine failure shortly after take-off from Pampulha Airport in Brazil, but disaster was averted thanks to a parachute. The power to the aircraft dropped from 80% to 30% and the pilot was unable to fix the problem while in flight. Fortunately, the plane was equipped with an Airframe Parachute System. The system is activated by a handle in the cockpit. An activation cable leads to an igniter that fires a rocket motor to extract the parachute, which is normally in the rear of the aircraft. The rocket accelerates to more than 100mph in the first 0.01 second, pitching the airplane upward as the rocket extracts the parachute. In seconds, the lines go taut, the canopy inflates, and the aircraft begins to decelerate. Once it stabilizes under the canopy, the airplane descends at about 15-28 feet per second. In this case, the plane came down as designed and 6 people, including a 3-year-old child and a new-born baby just 3 days old, were able to walk away unharmed.
