RIP - Red arrows pilot confirmed to have died

[Swampster]

Those seats have both a cannon rail and a rocket booster pack which are designed to provide sufficient altitude for the parachute to effectively deploy even if ejecting at ground from a takeofff or landing emergency.

 

It is very, very rare for Martin Baker seats to malfunction and, sadly, is more likely to have been a maintenance error in packing the seat or removing safety pins before flight.

 

I'd say pretty much spot on, on all counts.. and from my experience that includes your 'speculation' of what's likely to have occurred.

 

Though even with the main safety pin out, it makes me wonder how the ejection handle could have been pulled (if that was the case) they take quite a short sharp tug to activate.

 

Has it been actually stated anywhere that the chute didn't deploy? It should have done, as you quite rightly said the Hawk is fitted with seats that can operate correctly when the aircraft is stood on the ground.

 

Was the pilot fully strapped in? Or in the process of strapping in, or disembarking the aircraft? These are probably the most likely times where mistakes are made and accidents on the ground can occur.. would explain quite a lot too.

 

I've heard of several ground misfires of seats, but almost all without fail have been during maintenance operations where there Armourer has made a mistake while working. I don't think I ever recall a situation where I heard that a seat that had been fully fitted in a serviceable aircraft had misfired on the ground.

 

Whatever the scenario it's another sad day for the RAF, and all concerned.. I can empathise with what the Squadron Armourers must be going through at the moment too!

[Rupert_Baehr]

It's now confirmed that the pilot has now died.

 

And what a fearful way to go. Ejected on the ground and parachute failed to deploy. How sad.

 

I doubt the parachute would ever be effective after ejecting from ground level?

 

The best seats are 'Zero Zero' seats. You can be sitting in the aircraft on the ground (at Zero feet) doing Zero knots, pull the handle, eject and survive (survive is the operative word ... you might not walk afterwards, but you will live.)

 

'Standard' seats are 'Zero 90's' - effective at ground level with an airspeed of at least 90 knots (and lets face it, 90kts - less than 100mph - is slow.)

 

Flying military aircraft is a dangerous occupation.

 

But it's still the most fun you can have with your clothes on.

[missymoo73]

RIP Flight Lieutenant Sean Cunningham.

[Conrod]

The best seats are 'Zero Zero' seats. You can be sitting in the aircraft on the ground (at Zero feet) doing Zero knots, pull the handle, eject and survive (survive is the operative word ... you might not walk afterwards, but you will live.)

 

'Standard' seats are 'Zero 90's' - effective at ground level with an airspeed of at least 90 knots (and lets face it, 90kts - less than 100mph - is slow.)

 

Flying military aircraft is a dangerous occupation.

 

But it's still the most fun you can have with your clothes on.

I think the Hawks have Mk10s which are 0/0. Memory clouds though . . . .

[Swampster]

I think the Hawks have Mk10s which are 0/0. Memory clouds though . . . .

 

Yes they do, and yes they are..

 

Further from my previous post, it is indeed being reported that the chute didn't deploy.. which would indicate some technical error somewhere down the line.. whether that's chute/headbox or some inadvertent firing out of sequence.. like just the main gun (the pole like thing that can be seen sticking out of the cockpit in the pictures) firing somehow without the seat cartridges firing, would certainly be enough to clear the aircraft.. But again that's speculating without info..