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Caught on video: Watch as a parachute saves a plane from crashing

Posted at 1:33 PM, Nov 03, 2015
and last updated 2015-11-03 13:33:14-05

Multiple angles of video show a plane gliding to the ground under a parachute this morning in Arkansas.

[Warning:  language]

KFSM Television reports the plane landed near MLK Boulevard in Fayetteville, Arkansas this morning.

You can see another view of the plane landing below.

Witnesses report two people came out of the plane, and the fire department reported that one person is being checked for injuries.

The plane is a  Cirrus SR-22T.

It is a fixed-wing, single-engine plane that is registered out of Rogers, Arkansas.

Cirrus aircraft are equipped with parachutes attached to plane in case of emergencies;  the company says this:

The parachute system is designed to protect occupants in the event of an emergency by lowering the aircraft to the ground after deployment. CAPS revolutionized general aviation safety by providing an additional measure of safety to occupants, similar in theory to the role of seatbelts in automobiles. No other certified general aviation aircraft manufacturer in the world provides this safety feature as standard equipment.

In the event of an in-flight emergency, pulling the red CAPS handle on the ceiling inside the cockpit deploys a solid-fuel rocket out a hatch that covers the concealed compartment where the parachute is stored. As the rocket carries the parachute rearward from the back of the airplane, the embedded CAPS airplane harness straps release from the fuselage. Within seconds, the 65′ diameter canopy will unfurl, controlling the aircraft rate of descent. The final landing is absorbed by the specialized landing gear, a roll cage and Cirrus Energy Absorbing Technology (CEAT™) seats.