Red Arrows Ejection death

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Member for

17 years 11 months

Posts: 272

Seat fired because handle is believed to have be partially pulled and somehow was extended further to fire the seat. It is believe that the pilot, AMM and armourers missed the seat pan firing handle pin not being fitted correcting, making the seat safe for parking or maintenance (the pilot would have fitted it after his last sortie and would be the only person to move it). The parachute failed to deploy due to incorrect information being supplied for RAF seat documentation by MB for a design flaw that MB knew about 22 years before and MB never informed the MoD on the matter. Did the coroner make a decision on status of death? Never heard one. MoD report will tell everything not known (was the pin still in the handle, etc?)

Feel sorry for the family, they do have a point to take up with MB if they are into the blame culture. Was he blameless? if he fitted that pin back into the handle on the previous sortie......

Member for

17 years 5 months

Posts: 8,980

Apparently you could do the same on the MK9 I read somewhere, I bet you didn't realise that as I neither did I while on Jags....

I thought it was only in RAFG that the main gun sear pin wasn't fitted post flight, I'm surprised that practice now happens in the UK. It always amazed me as it's not exactly a major issue to fit it, though sadly it wouldn't have stopped this accident.

Looking at the seat pictures, the handle housing wants extending upwards to prevent the pin being fitted when the handle is partially withdrawn position and the handle extended down to prevent the pin going in below it

Member for

17 years 11 months

Posts: 272

Apparently you could do the same on the MK9 I read somewhere, I bet you didn't realise that as I neither did I while on Jags....

I thought it was only in RAFG that the main gun sear pin wasn't fitted post flight, I'm surprised that practice now happens in the UK. It always amazed me as it's not exactly a major issue to fit it, though sadly it wouldn't have stopped this accident.

Looking at the seat pictures, the handle housing wants extending upwards to prevent the pin being fitted when the handle is partially withdrawn position and the handle extended down to prevent the pin going in below it

I did know about the pin being able to be fitted in the incorrect position, it was said every 6 months. Only fitted a pin twice, taxi back from flights in the back seat. Maint cards were the last cards to be closed before the BFs were signed and almost the first cards to be raised cease fly at Colt. The handle was an issue in design and regardless of anybody else, was the responsibility of the Pilot signing the jet back in to be pinned properly. If it was Sean, unfortunately his error started the snowball that set off the avalanche that had been set up by design errors and non communication..

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 875

Ok folks the little spat is over, Fedaykin has apologised, lets move on. Any further attempts to derail this topic will be dealt with infractions. This is a sensitive topic, lets show some respect please!?

M'Pacha