Dale wrote:
Mike Marron wrote:

(folks have survived the crash only to die screaming in the treetops
while being burned by the pyrotechnics)

What pryotechnics? The charge that deployed the chute? That is
expended when the chute is fired. Sounds like urban legend.

It's no urban legend. I personally knew some of these guys whom
have experienced inadvertant BRS launches. I met the guy from Hungary
in the following example at an airshow. His name escapes me but I know
for a fact how he died:

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11-15-00

He elected to take off on a short runway, in windy conditions that
produced known down rotors at the end of the runway. He was not able
to gain sufficient altitude and hit the top of the trees at the end of
the runway. The aircraft broke apart and fell to the ground. Upon
impact with the ground the BRS fired into the ground next to the
trike, creating a fire with fuel supplied by a ruptured fuel tank.
Such an accident could have produced a fire with or without the BRS.
Bottom line, while a tragedy, the fault was clearly pilot error.
************************************************** ******************************



The point is that not unlike all rocket, the thing burns for certain
amount of time before it's expelled. The handle
must be saftied with a pin or wire while on the ground to prevent
accidental firings. And just because it's there doesn't mean you
should use it. As I was going down, I chose to fly it in rather than
fire the chute.

-Mike Marron

For those interested, here is some more info:


************************************************** ********************************
5-9-00

A triker in Hawaii had an accidental deployment in his Edge and was
blown off the coast of Kauai into about 40 feet of water and surf. He
rescued his student from the wreckage and saved him.

The pilot had dropped the control lock- a piece of Velcro about 18
ft. long on the floor of the pod like usual and took off. Only this
time, for some reason, it blew back and was flapping out of the pod,
hooked around the rocket end of the firing chord. When the other end
was caught by the prop it fired the rocket.

The pilot was flying along happily one moment, and was a dangling
piece of **** the next. He heard a loud WOOOSH, looked out, and was
startled to see the whole system being dragged out and then
disappearing in the slipstream. Before he could react, the bridle was
in the prop and instantly destroyed the prop and stopped the engine.
The bridle was stretched with incredible tension between the grip and
the prop hub. In between was the gas tank filler-cap, which was
swiped off, and was the first item to hit the sea.

The trike apparently stopped in mid-air and then dropped like a stone
(a heavy trike), now suspended by it’s prop! As the trike swung
through a number of oscillations, it was pouring 10 gallons of pre-mix
all over the occupants. The pilot reported that the first words from
the student we I CAN’T SWIM! The trike was drifting over the
coffee fincas on the south shore of Kauai, being blown out to sea.

The pilot claims to have answered: "I’m a skydiver, I’m a scuba diver,
I’m a swimmer and I’m a surfer. Just take a deep breath! Take
another deep breath!"

The trike hit the water in about 40 feet of water and 6 foot swells
and off a rocky shore. It plunged straight down, didn’t even slow
down, until the canopy splashed, at which point the whole mess
stopped. The pilot was already releasing from his harness; he pulled
the student from his, and they went for the surface. Then, the pilot
dropped both intercom headsets and they struggled out of their
flightsuits. The pilot reported that, by the time he got the student
ashore, he had kicked off his Tevas too, and had little energy left.

The machine was recovered by helicopter.

I wanted every detail when I was flying there. If ever the trike
deployed on that side of the island- you’d better be able to swim, due
to strong Trade Winds blowing you towards Niihau. I started flying
with flotation vests for both occupants.
************************************************** ******************************



11-10-00

Stated that there have been 3 deployments of BRS chutes on Airborne
Trikes that he knows of, 2 in the air and 1 on the ground. All 3 were
accidental. The "in the air' deployments were the result of the bridle
working loose of the ties or being pulled into the prop by something
else. The incident in particular he mentioned and I do not have the
exact details happened in Hawaii. The trike was on a tour of the
island when a rope or tie down strap under the seat worked its way to
the back of the trike and went thru the prop. On the way out it fouled
the bridle and pulled the chute out of the canister. The chute
deployed as designed and the trike and both occupants floated down to
the ground.