Backcountry Access Avalanche Airbags Recalled for Trigger Assembly Failure Risk
Backcountry Access is recalling about 8,200 avalanche airbags in the US and Canada because the trigger assembly can fail, preventing deployment and posing a risk of death or injury.
What this means for you
Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 3/5 (High).
Real risk of harm even if no illness or injury has been reported yet. Stop using the product and follow the agency's guidance.
Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a safety-critical device where failure poses a risk of death and injury, but the source explicitly states that no injuries have been reported, fitting the rubric for risk-of-harm products where injury has not yet been reported.
Plain-English summary
Backcountry Access (BCA) is recalling specific models of avalanche airbags, including the Float 18, 22, 30, 32, 36, and Throttle. These airbags are used for skiing, snowmobiling, and mountain climbing to help keep users above the surface during an avalanche. The affected units are yellow airbags housed in blue, red, or black packs with the model name printed on them. The "Float" and "bca" logos are printed in black on the airbag. The recall includes units with lot letters A through E, which can be found on the trigger handle.
The recall is due to a defect in the trigger assembly that can fail, resulting in the airbag not deploying. This failure poses a risk of death and injury in the event of an avalanche. The source text states that no injuries have been reported to date.
Approximately 6,400 units were sold in the United States and 1,800 in Canada. The airbags were sold at specialty outdoor stores worldwide and online at www.backcountryaccess.com from August 2011 through October 2013 for between $499 and $750. Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled airbags and contact BCA for a free replacement trigger assembly. Consumers can contact Backcountry Access at (800) 670-8735 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. MT Monday through Friday, or online at www.backcountryaccess.com under Safety Alert in Customer Service.
The recalled product
- Product
- Avalanche airbags
- Affected units
- 6,400
Distribution
Distributed nationwide across the United States.
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