Hotinfo,
The FRC's (Flight Reference Cards), that all pilots in the RAF learn to know back to front, are there to be followed to the letter unless there are mitigating circumstances to not do so. Some emergency actions are extremely time critical, esp whilst hovering the Harrier, and by virtue have to be known instinctively. If indeed the cause of the crash last week was a failure of the engine, the only course of action was ejection. This advice usually applies to any unrecoverable loss of control and when the 'donk' goes in the Harrier in the VSTOL regime, you have no control! It's a one-way lift and drops fast.
Hope that clears some of your question.....
Hope you're well Tony, hope to see you back soon.
BD