Originally Posted by
2 TWU
Re the Fighter Controller leaving inadvertently, yes, initially he said he hadn't pulled anything but later confessed to "fiddling" with the handle.
This was my understanding too. With the benefit of hindsight one wonders why the 3 positions of the Mk10 SPH did not come clear during the investigation that followed, even without the recovery of the actual seat. Clearly I am not suggesting a causal link but there was an 'in-depth' investigation into the seat pan firing mechanisms (well, that was the understanding at the time).
I have flown the Mk10 in 2 RAF types and I remain stunned that I knew so little of the potential risks and that my own training and my own checks were ineffective. I did however completely understand that the signing for events not actually completed was a serious service offence.