An Air Force instructor pilot’s life was tragically cut short on Monday when an ejection seat activated while the jet was still grounded at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas. The instructor pilot was operating a T-6A Texan II aircraft when the ejection seat activated during ground operations. The pilot was immediately transported to a nearby hospital but succumbed to their injuries on Tuesday. The T-6A Texan II is a single-engine two-seater aircraft primarily used for training Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps pilots. Both the front and back seats of the aircraft are equipped with Martin-Baker ejection seats, which are activated by a handle on the seat. In 2022, the T-6 fleet, along with hundreds of other Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps jets, were grounded after inspections revealed a potential defect with one component of the ejection seat’s cartridge actuated devices (CADs). The fleet was subsequently inspected, and in some instances, the CADs were replaced. When activated, the cartridge would explode and initiate the ejection sequence. While ejection seats are often credited with saving pilots’ lives, they can also malfunction at critical moments during aircraft accidents. Investigators have identified ejection seat failure as a partial cause of an F-16 crash that claimed the life of 1st Lt. David Schmitz in June 2020. In 2018, four members of a B-1 bomber crew were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for their heroic actions when they discovered one of the four ejection seats was indicating failure while their aircraft was on fire. Instead of ejecting, the crew opted to remain in the burning aircraft and land it, giving them the best chance of survival. Remarkably, all crew members survived. The Air Force is actively investigating the circumstances surrounding this incident and has not yet released the name of the deceased pilot pending notification of next of kin.
Air Force Instructor Pilot Killed in Ground Ejection Seat Activation
