F/A-18 Fatal @ Key West NAS

FlyingAccountant said:
Sounds like it might have rolled and they got ejected into the water.....
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Most people don’t often think about the fact that ejection is hardly a “get out of jail free” card. Survivable profiles vary drastically and for every YouTube video or story of a guy punching out sideways or upside down in dramatic fashion there are unfortunately scores of guys who pulled a handle or bailed out of an aircraft to not make it when they played that final card at the table. It’s unfortunate but as we continue to sharpen the edge of the spear, we pause to acknowledge the blood lost of our brothers and sisters in the process.

Fair winds and Following Seas...

Until Valhalla where we may all meet again.
 
I saw video that showed the plane right side up in what looked like shallow water. I guess it could've rolled, the crew punched out, and then the plane hit the water on it's belly. And the fireball the witness described could've been from the ejections.

Regardless, very sad that the crew was killed. RIP.
 
My condolences to the families of these two crew members. Hearing about this hits close to home for me. My uncle was lost at sea in a training accident years ago while flying F-14's out of Oceana NAS.
 
That definitely is a landing gear sticking up out of the water. My mistake. I'll have to see if I can find the video I saw yesterday and make sure I wasn't hallucinating when I watched it.
 
The collective "we" have been fortunate many times over the last few years, so much so that I think what Lawman said, about the seat not always being able to save your life, is at times forgotten. Pretty rough day for all the Navy fighter flight lines.
 
Very sad. It's the day that all families of Warriors dread. Two good men are lost. As a civilian it is always so hard to accept and remember that even in training, there are just so many dangers lurking simply because of the type of training, the performance expected, the equipment, the environment, etc. We lose count of all of the days when our men return home safely, but these incidents are a stark and painful reminder for us all, of what their sacrifice, an unrelenting heart of duty, and commitment really means. RIP Sirs, RIP.
 
Lawman said:
...for every YouTube video or story of a guy punching out sideways or upside down in dramatic fashion there are unfortunately scores of guys who pulled a handle or bailed out of an aircraft to not make it when they played that final card at the table.
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Lost a former student of mine a couple months after he tracked to T-38's for exactly that type of scenario. Airplane rolled over immediately after take-off due to a failed component in an aileron system resulting in an uncommanded full down aileron on one side. He attempted to eject and the seat didn't even clear the top of the aircraft before impact. His IP didn't even have enough time to try the seat. Both fatal.
 
Lawman said:
Most people don’t often think about the fact that ejection is hardly a “get out of jail free” card. Survivable profiles vary drastically and for every YouTube video or story of a guy punching out sideways or upside down in dramatic fashion there are unfortunately scores of guys who pulled a handle or bailed out of an aircraft to not make it when they played that final card at the table. It’s unfortunate but as we continue to sharpen the edge of the spear, we pause to acknowledge the blood lost of our brothers and sisters in the process.
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So true Lawman. Squadron mate and his WSO punched out while rolling on its side. WSO made it but with the 1+ second sequence delay, the A/C did not.
 
fish314 said:
Lost a former student of mine a couple months after he tracked to T-38's for exactly that type of scenario. Airplane rolled over immediately after take-off due to a failed component in an aileron system resulting in an uncommanded full down aileron on one side. He attempted to eject and the seat didn't even clear the top of the aircraft before impact. His IP didn't even have enough time to try the seat. Both fatal.
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The T-38A model ejection seat would be instantly out of the envelope in the situation you describe, unfortunately.

Springer said:
So true Lawman. Squadron mate and his WSO punched out while rolling on its side. WSO made it but with the 1+ second sequence delay, the A/C did not.
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Nearly the same scenario with the Hultgren F-14 crash on final turn to the boat.
 
FlyingAccountant said:
So in a two seater, if one guy pulls the handle, does that start the sequence for both or just the guy that pulled it?
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Multiple combinations of settings available.

Some will say, this guys vote clears both, but the other just does their own seat. And some aircraft require ejection in a particular sequence in order to safely eject both crew members. You wouldn’t want the guy in front getting his own and sole vote if sitting in the back that turned you into a crispy critter.
 
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How does an Air Force Academy graduate wind up an 0-4 in the Navy? Do you get your pick of service on graduation?
 
milleR said:
How does an Air Force Academy graduate wind up an 0-4 in the Navy? Do you get your pick of service on graduation?
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The same way a West Point Grad ends up an AF officer. A very small percentage of each class can apply for a cross-service commission.

The USAFA guy wasn’t on an exchange tour since they identified him with USN rank.
 
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