2 people safely eject from jet that later crashed during Thunder Over Michigan air show 8/13/2023

[Wardogg]

That was a close one

Another witness that’s flown in the accident aircraft says had they waited any long they probably wouldn’t have made it whether they punched out or not. I think a lot of us were making fun of the back seater but he may have saved their lives that day. Luckily no one on the ground was hurt.

 

[MikeD]

Another witness that’s flown in the accident aircraft says had they waited any long they probably wouldn’t have made it whether they punched out or not. I think a lot of us were making fun of the back seater but he may have saved their lives that day. Luckily no one on the ground was hurt.

Delayed ejection decision to an out-of-envelope ejection attempt, has proven fatal time and time again.

 

[Pilot Fighter]

Delayed ejection decision to an out-of-envelope ejection attempt, has proven fatal time and time again.

In the S-3, with nobody in the back, turning off crew eject in both pilot and cotac positions buys the front seats .52 seconds.

 

[MikeD]

In the S-3, with nobody in the back, turning off crew eject in both pilot and cotac positions buys the front seats .52 seconds.

Once VS became mostly tanker ops, were the back seat AWs no longer carried?

 

[Pilot Fighter]

Once VS became mostly tanker ops, were the back seat AWs no longer carried?

As soon as the ASW mission was lost, the AW’s disappeared immediately, replaced with seat ballast.

In the sea control era, you would have a TACCO in the back unless it was a dedicated recovery tanker sortie close to the boat.

 

[MikeD]

As soon as the ASW mission was lost, the AW’s disappeared immediately, replaced with seat ballast.

In the sea control era, you would have a TACCO in the back unless it was a dedicated recovery tanker sortie close to the boat.

What did the Shadow have for a back end crew? The VQ birds?

 

[Pilot Fighter]

What did the Shadow have for a back end crew? The VQ birds?

Most commonly, two AW’s. There were some mission-specific exceptions.

 

[///AMG]

Another witness that’s flown in the accident aircraft says had they waited any long they probably wouldn’t have made it whether they punched out or not. I think a lot of us were making fun of the back seater but he may have saved their lives that day. Luckily no one on the ground was hurt.

Sounds like he most definitely saved their lives. Even without that witness testimony, just the parameters they were in, especially on an old ass soviet seat that didn’t have a great track record to begin with…….hell, 300 ish AGL (while also descending at several hundred ft/min I’d assume), you dont have many more seconds even in a modern western MB seat. Especially if you pile on the AoA and start rolling over (though it sounds like the PIC did a decent job of not really doing that at least). It is interestingly apparent in the report that they probably aren’t friends anymore and aren’t going to the others bday party now

 

[Boris Badenov]

It is interestingly apparent in the report that they probably aren’t friends anymore and aren’t going to the others bday party now

It also seems to me that the accident investigators were not real impressed with the notion of an imminent relight at 300ft or dead-sticking a freaking jet into a field.