The purpose of this Bulletin is to alert owners of certain BRS rocket-deployed parachute systems of the availability of a factory upgrade. The strip-wound housing can be identified by its bright silver or chrome appearance with a series of parallel circular wraps. This steel housing material is approximately one-half inch in diameter and can be compressed slightly by holding it at two points and pushing the points toward one another. Any BRS unit with the braided steel activating housing is not covered by this Bulletin.
Braided housing appears to be constructed of fine diameter wire finished into a tubular shape.
This steel housing material is approximately one-half inch in diameter and will not compress when holding it at two points and pushing the points toward one another. Also not affected are any BRS units with black, smaller diameter housing of approximately one-quarter inch diameter. BRS has become aware that some applications of the affected housing material may have been improperly installed. When this is true, the pull forces at the activating handle end of the system may rise to a point where some individuals are unable to exert sufficient force to activate the system if desired during an in-flight emergency. BRS has created an upgrade that may address a large percentage of those systems which might exhibit a high pull force due to their improper installation.