Jman
Site Developer
Chute First, Ask Questions Later (From AVFlash)
Ilan Reich last Thursday turned a Cirrus SR22 into a powered parachute and in doing so possibly saved his own life and perhaps those of people on the ground. He broke his back and found out he'll probably never fly again, but, given the host of much more serious potential results, he's not really complaining. In a detailed account of the short flight that ended with a parachute descent into a creek near Haverstraw, N.Y., Reich describes using power from the still-running engine to avoid dropping onto the fuel tanks that supply a conventional power plant there. "I applied right aileron and rudder, and rocked the power lever to make sure that the engine still had power. These actions caused the plane to gently veer away from the tank farm and over the water," Reich wrote. Reich was returning the plane to his home base at Westchester County Airport from maintenance at nearby Lincoln Park, N.J., when he blacked out at the controls. Rather than risk continuing the flight, he pulled the chute and hoped for the best. Despite a more dramatic (and less comfortable) outcome than some other Cirrus chute deployments, Reich remains sold on the concept. "Don't fly a single engine plane that isn't equipped with a parachute," he advises in his account of the incident.
...A "Massive Belly Flop"...
Under the parachute, a Cirrus hits the ground as if it had been dropped from 10 feet so the landing jolt is considerable. That's why the landing gear is designed to absorb most of that shock. But Reich's descent ended on the placid waters of Bowline Creek, a tributary of the Hudson River. "It was like a massive belly flop," he wrote. "Because I landed in water rather than solid ground, the gear did not absorb much of the impact. Instead, the wings and seat did all the work. It was at this point that the fourth lumbar vertebrae in my back cracked and compressed from the impact of the crash." It was the culmination of a wild ride that also left him with a bump on his head. Reich was level at just under 3,000 feet when he blacked out for what he estimates was five to 10 seconds. When he became alert again, the plane was nose down, going through 1,900 at 204 knots, just above Vne. He gently leveled the plane but had no interest in continuing the flight into IMC, with weakness in one of his legs and an airframe he feared might have been compromised during the descent and recovery. The chute isn't supposed to be deployed at speeds greater than 130 knots but Reich is pretty sure he was going faster than that when he pulled the handle. A few seconds later there was a "tremendous jolt" that knocked off his headset and glasses and caused him to hit his head on the cabin's interior.
...Back Braced, Tumor Discovered
Reich's problems were far from over when he hit the water. As the plane started to slowly sink, he realized he couldn't open the doors. Using the emergency hammer supplied for just those circumstances, Reich was able to bash his way through a window and found time to sit on the wing (while donning a life jacket that he always kept in the plane), "survey the situation and collect my thoughts." He swam about 150 feet before a fire department boat picked him up and took him to a waiting ambulance. After undergoing various tests, X-rays and CT scans, an emergency-room doctor told him the source of his sore back was a cracked vertebrae. "He then left the room, but came back a moment later and casually said: 'By the way, did you know that you have a brain tumor?'" Reich walked out of the hospital the next day and will have to wear a brace for four weeks to support his injured back. He also has to meet with a neurologist to decide what, if anything, to do about the benign brain tumor, which was the likely cause of his brief in-flight seizure. He was told the tumor has been there for years. Regardless of the outcome of those discussions, Reich has resigned himself to never flying again.
Ilan Reich last Thursday turned a Cirrus SR22 into a powered parachute and in doing so possibly saved his own life and perhaps those of people on the ground. He broke his back and found out he'll probably never fly again, but, given the host of much more serious potential results, he's not really complaining. In a detailed account of the short flight that ended with a parachute descent into a creek near Haverstraw, N.Y., Reich describes using power from the still-running engine to avoid dropping onto the fuel tanks that supply a conventional power plant there. "I applied right aileron and rudder, and rocked the power lever to make sure that the engine still had power. These actions caused the plane to gently veer away from the tank farm and over the water," Reich wrote. Reich was returning the plane to his home base at Westchester County Airport from maintenance at nearby Lincoln Park, N.J., when he blacked out at the controls. Rather than risk continuing the flight, he pulled the chute and hoped for the best. Despite a more dramatic (and less comfortable) outcome than some other Cirrus chute deployments, Reich remains sold on the concept. "Don't fly a single engine plane that isn't equipped with a parachute," he advises in his account of the incident.
...A "Massive Belly Flop"...
Under the parachute, a Cirrus hits the ground as if it had been dropped from 10 feet so the landing jolt is considerable. That's why the landing gear is designed to absorb most of that shock. But Reich's descent ended on the placid waters of Bowline Creek, a tributary of the Hudson River. "It was like a massive belly flop," he wrote. "Because I landed in water rather than solid ground, the gear did not absorb much of the impact. Instead, the wings and seat did all the work. It was at this point that the fourth lumbar vertebrae in my back cracked and compressed from the impact of the crash." It was the culmination of a wild ride that also left him with a bump on his head. Reich was level at just under 3,000 feet when he blacked out for what he estimates was five to 10 seconds. When he became alert again, the plane was nose down, going through 1,900 at 204 knots, just above Vne. He gently leveled the plane but had no interest in continuing the flight into IMC, with weakness in one of his legs and an airframe he feared might have been compromised during the descent and recovery. The chute isn't supposed to be deployed at speeds greater than 130 knots but Reich is pretty sure he was going faster than that when he pulled the handle. A few seconds later there was a "tremendous jolt" that knocked off his headset and glasses and caused him to hit his head on the cabin's interior.
...Back Braced, Tumor Discovered
Reich's problems were far from over when he hit the water. As the plane started to slowly sink, he realized he couldn't open the doors. Using the emergency hammer supplied for just those circumstances, Reich was able to bash his way through a window and found time to sit on the wing (while donning a life jacket that he always kept in the plane), "survey the situation and collect my thoughts." He swam about 150 feet before a fire department boat picked him up and took him to a waiting ambulance. After undergoing various tests, X-rays and CT scans, an emergency-room doctor told him the source of his sore back was a cracked vertebrae. "He then left the room, but came back a moment later and casually said: 'By the way, did you know that you have a brain tumor?'" Reich walked out of the hospital the next day and will have to wear a brace for four weeks to support his injured back. He also has to meet with a neurologist to decide what, if anything, to do about the benign brain tumor, which was the likely cause of his brief in-flight seizure. He was told the tumor has been there for years. Regardless of the outcome of those discussions, Reich has resigned himself to never flying again.
