One lucky pilot!

[Jetjock330]

Just seen this on the morning CNN news. A pilot ejecting just before his jet explodes at an airshow practice in Canada. I am sure more will appear later.

Quote "Dramatic footage captures a pilot surviving a low-level ejection just moments before his fighter jet is transformed into a fireball after it impacts the ground during air show practice in Canada." end quote.

[INNflight]

In this situation you'll be glad that the screws on your ejection seat are 500 dollars each, and not 5 dollars each...

Looks like a slow-flight demo ending with a stall / beginning spin?

[Wirbelsturm]

Interestingly, if you look closely at the first picture, the variable exhaust nozzles are dilated asymetrically, with the left hand nozzle being full open and the right hand nozzle being in the full power position. Add to that that in the penulitimate picture there is a non accelerated flame coming from the left engine at the point of impact, again possibly adding to the idea that he lost the left engine.

Obviously conjecture at this point but that would lead me to believe that he possibly had an engine failure/malfunction.

Thank the stars for zero/zero bang seats!

[ETOPS]

again possibly adding to the idea that he lost the left engine.

Funny that - I see the opposite. The aircraft is demonstrating a slow flypast at high alpha when it rolls to the right. Surely a left engine failure would cause a left roll? Anyway, the report (in 2 years time) will clear it all up......

[RetiredF4]

The AOA does not look that high, and it looks pretty stable without change.
What bothers me is the development of a yaw to the right, which is present prior to the roll in the same direction.

Actually it is the yaw to the right which causes the right wing to loose lift (at the same time the lift on the left wing increases) and inducing the roll to the right.

Now what caused that yaw? It might be a loss of thrust on the right engine, but it does not show in the footage. The left nozzle looks open, which would show afterburner operation, and the right nozzle looks closed, showing operation between 80 to 100% dry thrust.

Might well also be getting too slow and loosing directional control.

franzl

[RetiredF4]

Another video there klick

[JEM60]

Looks like Anatoly Kovatchur's twin brother!!!!. [Somebody will explain to you youngsters, no doubt]

[sprocky_ger]

Hm, I am not familiar with F18's nozzle position (worked a few years on PA-200 Tornado engines about ten years ago). But judging by the a/c moves I point to a right engine failure. There is no fire on impact from the right nozzle but from the left - no smoke either. So I guess the right engine was not operating anymore. But thats just a guess. The reason for a little doubt is that I would expect the fire coming from the left nozzle a bit more straight in that case

[Chael]

The song playing in the background of the video RetiredF4 linked us to seems quite fitting.

[Low Flier]

Playing the Beegees hit "Stayin' Alive" on the Tannoy was somewhat prescient.

One wonders what the pilot's gameplan was for the contingency of an engine failure during this high alpha low/slow pass? Swear-Stall-Spin-Eject-Swear some more when you remember that you forgot to put your head back into the headrest before pulling the seat pan handle.

He was simply lucky that the wind direction was such that it did not drag him across the ground into the flames before he jettisoned his parachute.

[onetrack]

He was simply lucky that the wind direction was such that it did not drag him across the ground into the flames before he jettisoned his parachute.

Yes, exactly what I was thinking... AND he was also very lucky, that he didn't wear a huge chunk of shrapnel, that can be seen travelling in all directions, at substantial speeds, right after the initial impact...

[Intruder]

I am not familiar with F18's nozzle position (worked a few years on PA-200 Tornado engines about ten years ago). But judging by the a/c moves I point to a right engine failure. There is no fire on impact from the right nozzle but from the left - no smoke either. So I guess the right engine was not operating anymore. But thats just a guess. The reason for a little doubt is that I would expect the fire coming from the left nozzle a bit more straight in that case

The open nozzle on the left is typical of afterburner operation, while the closed position on the right would indicate high thrust without afterburner. That, along withe the "bangs" heard on the video would indicate to me either a compressor stall or afterburner blowout on the right engine.

Since the front of the airplane has already impacted the ground in the penultimate pic, it is possible we are seeing the remains of the afterburner flame and/or fuel being pumped into the afterburner chamber as the left engine is in the process of failing.

[sprocky_ger]

Intruder

Thanks for the explanation. Never too old to learn something new