A 29-year-old pilot was hospitalised for smoke inhalation after his Cirrus SR22 caught fire mid-flight and descended under its Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) near Serra Azul in southeastern Brazil on Tuesday, according to a report by avbrief.com.

Footage of the incident shows the aircraft descending at roughly 1,700 feet per minute under its parachute canopy as smoke poured from the engine compartment. The Cirrus was destroyed by fire after landing in a field, but the pilot managed to escape.

Social media reports cited in the article indicate the aircraft had departed Pampulha Airport in Belo Horizonte and was headed to Bom Despacho when the emergency occurred. Early accounts suggest the pilot deployed the parachute after an explosion and fire broke out roughly 14 minutes into the flight.

The report notes that the SR22's Pilot Operating Handbook for Brazil does not specifically list fire as a scenario that requires CAPS deployment, but it does include a general provision that leaves the decision to the pilot's judgment: the system should be activated when deployment is determined safer than continuing flight and attempting a landing.

Brazilian authorities are expected to investigate whether the decision to deploy the parachute aided the pilot's survival or worsened the emergency. As the aircraft is US-manufactured, the report notes that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will also be involved in the investigation.

No statements from Cirrus Aircraft, Brazilian aviation authorities, or the pilot have yet been made public.

Source: avbrief.com