Re: F4 Phantom - Flying Bus???
I remember two instances where banging out led to a soft landing for the aircraft. One was a spin recovery trial. We were shown the video on the OCU in 1969. The F4 climbed like a rocket until eventually it slid down its contrail before entering a spin.
It rotated about 3 times then the canopies departed followed by the crew. The aircraft then did a soft, wheels up landing on the edge of the salt lake. The film showed it virtually undamaged.
The second incident was an F4J in Vietnam. After the crew departed the aircraft was seen to make a successful landing on the beach. By the time the air strike arrived - a few minutes - the aircraft had gone and Russia had a fully serviceable Doppler AI radar.
So, if in doubt bang out the nav. If that fails, bang out yourself. Yes, I know pilot had to leave straight after the nav or risk the lid staying on.