Really pill?
...such a struggle?

One report stated that there was a fire in the cockpit. It would explain the soot marks and why they decided to eject. Sounds like a good call.

Rocket seats are likely to make soot marks. Those marks recede at about 45 degrees much in line with the rocket flame trajectory. There was no fire showing in the video of the jet rolling down the runway after ejection. However, smoke in the cockpit is a possibility, which if it came from the engines, might have then disappeared once the engines were cut around ejection time. I know of two fatal ejections on takeoff when aircon heavy mist was mistaken for smoke but that's highly unlikely these days. Basically, if you are rolling significantly and you cant see you have to eject, especially given the reliability of today's seats as demonstrated in this case.

If I ejected on the runway I think I’d want the jet to explode spectacularly at the end of the runway, not amble off at a brisk walking pace. :p

Well done to the crew, that’s a big D to make.

Let's hope they were in that "D" together... :}

Yes, good point...

Nothing worse than premature ejection!😱

Happens to all men at some stage in their life.

Dog

How about this for a scenario.......Its a training flight smoke in the cockpit early in the take off Instructor commands “Reject Reject “ student hears “Eject Eject “ and the rest is history Red faces all around Just Sayin !

That's why we always said - "Abort, Abort, Abort" - not "Reject"...

I thought that scenario was part of a story (myth?) of a fast jet guy converting to B-52s in the 1970’s. Captain said “reject”, he heard “eject” and the downward-firing seat provided the sting in the tale.

Word on the RAAF Grapvine is that the aircraft suffered a total nosewheel steering failure at takeoff speeds.

Heard a tale once of a commercial flight just about to cross the fence and touch down. The Capt looked across to the FO and by the sad look on the FO's face reckoned the FO was having a very bad day. Thinking to make the FO happier the Capt said "cheer up" at which point the FO reached forward and retracted the undercarriage ! Of course I don't believe a word of it :-)

So if you are at take off speed, why not take off?

Watching the video, it doesn’t seem like they reached take off speed. The abandoned aircraft just ambled across the grass and came to a stop in a ditch... intact sans canopy and crew!

I assume this was an Alpha departure 04 then?

Would have to have been SOP related somewhat. Pull out at 150m in, still 500m to run. Certainly very little time from rolling until the call was made, looks like the best part of a few seconds.

I doubt that the CAF would have grounded the entire F18 fleet if it was a pilot f.ck up - and they'd have known that pretty quick off the mark I should have thought.

Although close an ejection is not part of my CV. But I have a number of friends that have the tie and each and everyone watching the aircraft disappear from under the canopy have thought, “ I really hope that was that was the right D” or something very similar.

At least the canopy separated this time, lesson learnt from Goose's mishap.

Ah, but Goose was in an F-14. He needed speed.