Analysis of Incidents of Crew Ejection from Selected U.S. Tactical Fighter Aircraft
Abstract
This annotated briefing looks at the history of aircrew ejection incidents from selected U.S. tactical fighter aircraft with the underlying purpose of determining if using state of the art seat technology (such as that embodied in the Russian K-36D-3.5A design being considered for the F-22A fighter and other U.S. aircraft) could possibly prevent future ejection fatalities. It looks at the current issues surrounding the fighter ejection seat area and the specific seats produced by the three primary manufacturers, the U.S. company Boeing, the British firm Martin-Baker, and the Russian manufacturer Zvezda. The severity of injuries sustained in historical incidents involving U.S. Navy and Air Force aircraft is assessed with regard to the ejection conditions, primarily the aircraft altitude and speed. The authors conclude that, given the conditions expected in the future, an ejection seat that uses state of the art technology could prevent some of the unsuccessful ejection seat incidents projected for the F-22A and reduce the severity of injuries sustained in others.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 1999
- Accession Number
- ADA372970
Entities
People
- J. Richard Nelson
- James P. Woolsey
- Joshua A. Schwartz
Organizations
- Institute for Defense Analyses