Dramatic Coast Guard Video Shows Duluth Made Cirrus SR-22 Parachute-Equipped Plane Help Pilot Avoid High Speed Crash Landing
Hawaii News Now shared dramatic video footage from the U.S. Coast Guard of a pilot deploying the airframe parachute system on a Cirrus SR-22 airplane to avoid a high-speed crash landing into the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii over the weekend. The plane, which was en route from Tracy, California to Maui, Hawaii, reportedly ran out of fuel about 230 miles north of Maui on Sunday afternoon.
The pilot placed a distress call early Sunday afternoon to report the fuel issue, and the Coast Guard helped the pilot navigate toward a cruise ship in the area that would serve as an element of the rescue campaign. The pilot was reportedly not injured in the incident, and was slated to arrive in Hawaii via the cruise ship sometime today (Monday, January 26).
Watch Coast Guard Video of Cirrus SR-22 Parachute Deployment off Hawaiian Coast
The Cirrus SR-22 aircraft is one of a series of planes manufactured by Duluth-based Cirrus Aircraft. The onboard airframe parachute system is one of the safety features boasted by Cirrus aircraft. Many well-known figures like country singer Dierks Bentley and former Major League Baseball player Ken Griffey Jr. are among those that have Cirrus planes.