Sensor data is received from a sensor where the sensor data includes aircraft state information including an aircraft pitch angle and recovery device state information including which parachute canopies are operational and one or more properties associated with the operational parachute canopies. The parachute canopies are coupled aft of a center of mass. It is determined, based at least in part on the aircraft pitch angle, whether to generate a control signal associated with maneuvering the aircraft into a nose-up position. A recovery action is performed, including by selecting a parachute canopy to be deployed, from the operational parachute canopies and based at least in part on the one or more properties, and deploying the selected parachute canopy, where a load on the selected parachute canopy is reduced in the event the aircraft is in the nose-up position compared to the aircraft being in a nose-down position.