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Parachute Deployed In Frederick Air Collision Likely Saved Lives

FREDERICK, Md. (WJZ) -- Midair collision. The investigation continues into the deadly crash between a small plane and a helicopter over the Frederick Municipal Airport.

Rick Ritter has more on the emergency system on the plane that likely saved lives.

The two people on board that plane are certainly lucky to be alive, but it's what was attached to the aircraft that may have saved their lives.

Two devastating scenes, two different outcomes. Thursday's air collision in Frederick left three people dead, while two others are lucky to be alive.

More: Probe Into Triple Fatal Frederick County Aircraft Crash Will Take A Year

"Very sad. Three people, lives lost," said local resident Jeremiah George.

Just after 3:30 p.m. Thursday the Cirrus SR22 went down in a line of trees with two people from Maryland on board. A parachute deployed from the plane following the collision. It was still attached when emergency responders arrived on scene.

"The safety system that you're talking about is the Cirrus Air Frame Parachute System, commonly called the CAPS," said Katie Pribyl, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.

With years of flying experience, Pribyl showed WJZ a similar model of the plane involved in the air collision. She says the parachute is designed for horrifying scenarios like Thursday's.

"It's a technical piece of equipment, but I do know that Cirrus has counted 99 lives saved," Pribyl said.

Standard Cirrus models have a system that's deployed when a pilot can't make a safe landing.

"A solid fuel rocket fires and deploys rearward. When that parachute is traveling rearward with that rocket, a harness system actually comes out from the fuselage. And it's attached to four points on the aircraft," said Pribyl.

Pribyl says it's a decision pilots are forced to make in just seconds by pulling a lever inside.

"Pull this cover off, and then what happens, you pull the handle straight down and then give it a good hard yank to fire that solid fuel rocket," she said.

Once pulled: "The airplane is designed to lower itself to the ground," said Pribyl.

A life-saving system that's the lone bright spot in an otherwise heart wrenching crash.

Ritter: "How lucky are the two people that were on that plane to be alive today?"

Pribyl: "We're very glad that were not two more fatalities."

The NTSB says it will take at least a year to complete its investigation to determine the details.

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