Video: Chute Save! A Spin In An LSA Nearly Turns Fatal

The internet is yelling four simple instructions to this lucky-to-be-alive pilot.

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • A test pilot in a Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) successfully recovered from a "developed flat spin" by deploying a ballistic parachute.
  • The parachute deployment saved the pilot's life and resulted in only superficial damage to the aircraft, preventing a likely unsurvivable crash.
  • While the pilot's conventional spin recovery technique was a topic of discussion, the ballistic parachute was the critical factor in their survival.
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What do you do in a developed flat spin? If this question sends a chill down your spine, you’re not alone.

The video, which shows a test pilot of an LSA trying to recover from a well-developed spin pulling the chute, finally. According to BRS, the plane suffered only superficial damage. Without the chute pull, the pilot would have had to have bailed out. The crash resulting from the spin into the ground would almost certainly have been unsurvivable. As far as the pilot’s flying technique is concerned, we won’t weigh in, except to say that commenters have tended to focus on his lack of convention spin recovery technique. Power back, stick neutral, opposite rudder, nose down. The video begins with the spin already in progress, so it’s possible the pilot attempted conventional spin recovery prior to the start of the footage. Regardless, he’s here to talk about it, something that most likely wouldn’t be the case without the chute.

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