Do accidental ejections ever happen from aircraft. When looking at cockpit photos, it looks like there are several ejection handles in the cockpit. Do people ever get things caught in them, or accidentally grab them when turning around to look behind the plane? I assume that they require a good bit of force to pull in order to prevent this? How else is this prevented from happening?

https://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?storyID=123008581

In reference to that story:

Wow, there's one guy who won't be making O-6.... I couldn't imagine how accidently punching out of a perfectly good, 36 & a half million dollar plane, hence causing it to continue flying for over a minute until it crashed, would advance your career.

I read the article and it doesn't sound like it's his fault. Why wouldn't he make O-6? Does that mean that any mishap in an airplane, regardless of the cause will probably hurt your promotion chances. I was also wondering about pilot error accidents. If the accident investigation board finds that an accident is pilot error, what does that usually mean for the pilot? Grounded for a period of time? Loss of wings? Does it all depend on the situation?

TGW

I remember hearing about someone on an incentive ride in an F-15E that jumped when the intakes moved and jettisoned the canopy.

Since we're on the subject of ejections. Check out this amazing story of a guy who was accidentally partially ejected from an A-6 and survived!

Lt. Keith Gallagher

How is that really the eagle driver's fault?

His fault or not, still led to the loss of a plane.... I guess it may not necessarily hinder his career, but I can't see how it would HELP.

"Let's see what's over my shoulder...aaaaand pull back to come around...." BANG! "What the F*CK am I doing outside the airplane?!?!?!?"

I'm sure that it's part of the flow to make sure your O2 hose isn't caught in the ejection seat handle everytime you turn your head.

Career hinderence doesn't seem likely.

Originally posted by TheGreatWaldo:

I read the article and it doesn't sound like it's his fault. Why wouldn't he make O-6? Does that mean that any mishap in an airplane, regardless of the cause will probably hurt your promotion chances. I was also wondering about pilot error accidents. If the accident investigation board finds that an accident is pilot error, what does that usually mean for the pilot? Grounded for a period of time? Loss of wings? Does it all depend on the situation?

The Thunderbird pilot who ejected last year at Boise because he miscalculated pressure altitude was "reassigned" to an administrative job in Washington.

Honest enough mistake, IMO. But it looks like the AF doesn't take too kindly to pilot error and subsequent loss of a multi-million dollar jet.

Originally posted by JPritch:

Honest enough mistake, IMO.

There's no such thing as an "honest mistake" when you're flying for the Thunderbirds.

Ill have to agree that it doesn’t sound like it is completely his fault, but I’m sure the Air Force would say otherwise. Talk about once in a million chain of events though. I bet he was surprised......

[ 10. November 2004, 18:07: Message edited by: FSUpilot ]

If you saw the 48 hour history on the T-Bird mishap you would see that there were some causal factors and bad decisions leading up to that mis-calculation.

Originally posted by Karl:

I remember hearing about someone on an incentive ride in an F-15E that jumped when the intakes moved and jettisoned the canopy.

I seriously doubt that. For one, you can't hear and can barely feel the intakes move -- definitely not enough to make you 'jump'. For another, the 'jumping' action would have to consist of him throwing his arm forward and grabbing the (very brightly colored yellow and black) ejection handle, pushing in the unlock button, then pulling the handle back. Sounds like an Eagle urban legend.

Originally posted by JPritch:

The Thunderbird pilot...Honest enough mistake, IMO.

No way. F*****ing up an altimeter could get you killed - and he's definite proof. Whether it be dialing in the wrong altimeter on a VFR day for an airshow, or forgetting to reset to QNH when transitioning out of FL180 for an approach to an IMC field - that's a huge deal.

From what I've heard about the accidental Eagle crash, his hose unplugged and he didn't notice it. I've had it happen to me, and I know guys to whom it has happened. You won't know it has happened until you realize you can't breath. During a BFM engagment, that could be a good 3-4 seconds....and a lot of things can happen in that time.

Toro is dead on, there is a huge difference between a break in discipline and equipment failure.

One thing about flying, sometimes weird things happen for no reason. I will never forget my first OEF mission. Some knucklehead with a 23MM started popping off at me, I rolled into to kill him and the NVG mount on my helmet broke off. Next thing I know it is pitch black, my NVGs are flopping around hanging by the battery cord, part of the NVG bracket is wedged in the throttle quadrant, and the AAA battery is still wailing on me.

I feel for the Eagle driver, lucky he didn’t break his neck.

Pardon my elementary knowledge of the subject, but do ejection seats have a reserve chute, or just the main? Also, how many G's does a person endure during the ejection? And finally, which a/c have ejection seats? (the last question has some very obvious answers, so I'm really just looking for any that may not be known to the common folk) Thanks.

No reserve chute in the ACES II seat. If it doesn't open, you can kiss your ass good-bye There is a manual deployment handle though just in case. As for G's, hmmm...I should know this one but I don't recall, someone else can chime in on that but it is A LOT...it is however and instantaneous G both in onset and duration, so it's over before you know it. A not so common a/c with an ejection seat is a B-52...

A B-52 seriously? Weird. Good info, thanks!

Some ejection seat trivia that "common folk" may not know:

- Early models of the F-104 Starfighter had ejection seats that fired down instead of up. Obviously no zero-zero capability there.

- F-111s didn't have ejection seats perse, but an entire ejection pod that kept the pilot and BN/WSO/EWO (EDIT: whatever the guy in the right seat was called) in climate controlled comfort for the ride down. This past Sunday I met a gentleman who was shot down in an F-111 and had to ride the pod down. Luckily he and the pilot, who had a broken back, were rescued before the VC could get to them.

[ 23. June 2005, 16:04: Message edited by: El Duderino ]

Originally posted by El Duderino:

Some ejection seat trivia that "common folk" may not know:

- Early models of the F-104 Starfighter had ejection seats that fired down instead of up. Obviously no zero-zero capability there.

- F-111s didn't have ejection seats perse, but an entire ejection pod that kept the pilot and BN/WSO/EWO (EDIT: whatever the guy in the right seat was called) in climate controlled comfort for the ride down. This past Sunday I met a gentleman who was shot down in an F-111 and had to ride the pod down. Luckily he and the pilot, who had a broken back, were rescued before the VC could get to them.

One of my LSU ROTC classmates was Aardvarker WSO that was with the Wing CC, had to punch, chute didn't inflate under capsule and he broke his back

while as I remember the Wing CC was paralyzed neck down.

Google is your friend.

https://www.ejectionsite.com/ejectfaq.htm

- Early models of the F-104 Starfighter had ejection seats that fired down instead of up. Obviously no zero-zero capability there

The BUFF still has two downward firing seats for the navs downstairs. With a vest on, you're pretty much guranteed some kind of arm/shoulder trauma during bailout since the hatch is just big enough for the seat. Cheers!

Hey guys just a couple of quick questions for ya...what is the survivability of ejecting out of a plane...I mean i saw the news about shaw and the dude broke both legs and his wrist so it just got me wondering...also im headed off to fly 135s and was wondering if anyone has any information why there are three crew members but only one parachute...I mean if that plane starts goin down theres gonna be a fight in the back...Thanks :confused:

Asd a Herk dude, we didn't have the luxury or necessity for ejection.

We did have chutes for all primary crewmembers on board though.

That was a relatively recent change though (last 6-7 years).

I used to get crap during JRTCs when I refused to fit a chute as the AC for my crew. If the airplane is somehow flyable enough to allow the rest of the crew to bail out, then I'll be at the controls making that happen. In that circumstance, I guess I take one for the team, but that's why I get that extra "A-Code" pay....

Hydro

Right on Hydro, kinda like planned ditching in a helo, the AC gets to ride the bird into the water.