DefensePassenger accidentally ejects from F-15D Eagle in the US
A passenger in a US Air National Guard F-15D Eagle from the 104th Fighter Wing appears to have unintentionally ejected while the aircraft was taxiing at Barnes Air National Guard Base in Westfield, Massachusetts.
Video posted on social media shows the twin-seat fighter moving along the ramp when a puff of smoke emerges from the rear cockpit, followed by the canopy being blown off and landing on the left wing. The backseat occupant is seen near a deployed parachute close to the runway as the F-15 continues to roll past.
According to an unverified post on Facebook page, the individual was a member of the 104th Fighter Wing on an “incentive flight” — a ride offered to non-pilot personnel as a reward or morale booster.
The Air National Guard has not confirmed the passenger’s identity or condition. Ejections at zero altitude and near-zero speed, known as “zero-zero,” carry additional risks, though accidental ejections in such circumstances are extremely rare.
Based at Barnes since 1946, the 104th Fighter Wing operates F-15C/D Eagles on 24/7 air defense alert missions over the northeastern United States and is scheduled to transition to the F-35A Lightning II by 2026.
https://twitter.com/Mrgunsngear/status/1955753066545791066
About the Author
Ricardo Meier
Creator of the website that started in 1996 as a magazine. He also writes on Brazilian websites AUTOO, MOTOO and MetrôCPTM.
