Dramatic video shows entire plane being saved by parachute

Dramatic video captures a small plane carrying six people — including a 3-year-old and a newborn — floating safely to the ground in Brazil after the pilot deployed an onboard parachute during an emergency.

The single-engine Cirrus SR22 suffered engine failure shortly after it took off from Pampulha Airport in Belo Horizonte, in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais, about 11:30 a.m. March 11, Air Data News reported.

But disaster was averted when the pilot deployed the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System, commonly referred to as CAPS — which is a whole plane recovery system that has so far saved 249 lives.

“Pilot reported loss of engine power during cruise, attempted return to airport, and activated CAPS when realizing there was insufficient glide range,” the Cirrus Owners & Pilots Association said in a synopsis of the incident.

Footage posted by Aeroin shows the small plane floating over Sabará and then bouncing after hitting the ground.

“The entire crew was conscious, oriented and without apparent injuries,” the Minas Gerais Military Fire Department said, referring to everyone onboard the plane.

The plane, which was manufactured in 2022, belonged to Bradesco Leasing e Arrendamento Mercantil but operated with Volare Equipamentos Aéreos, according to Air Data News.

According to the Cirrus pilots website, the parachute deployment was the 122^nd save, with 249 people surviving emergencies using the system.

The pilot deploys the parachute by pulling the CAPS handle on the aircraft’s ceiling once the minimum altitude has been reached.

In seconds, the ballistic rocket-fired parachute unfolds, sending the plane down slowly.

The design was the first of its kind to become certified by the Federal Aviation Administration in 1998.