Just came across this on Truth Social. Looks like all four pilots were able to eject -

https://x.com/Osinttechnical/s.../2056086529404260666

Damn lucky.

quote:

Originally posted by 2BobTanner:
Damn lucky.

That for sure. It looked like both planes locked together. It was very fortunate the 4 pilots were even able to eject.

quote:

Originally posted by PeteF:
It was very fortunate the 4 pilots were even able to eject.

Exactly. If the nose of the upper plane had been just a few feet over, it would have been covering the canopy of the bottom plane without enough space for the bottom crew's ejection seats to clear it.

That was an expensive FUBAR. I'd bet somebody's flying career is over.

That is kinda crazy, good thing they made it out.

Let the investigation begin.

I'm glad they are all safe.

Man I'm glad they all made it out.

Man, that’s crazy. Flying experts, except for some mechanical failure, how could the one that came up from above and behind the other one not have seen it to avoid the collision?

What is the reason these pilots use parachutes that are ancient technology with no directional control what so ever. You would think that having directional control could be the difference between life and death in many cases. Maybe it has to do with having to be able to handle a high speed ejection? Kind of strange if there’s no good reason.

They could have just as easily come down right into that massive fireball. Or say you eject at high altitude and you can steer away from enemy territory and go to a much better place to get rescued.

quote:

Originally posted by 12131:
how could the one that came up from above and behind the other one not have seen it to avoid the collision?

A good discussion:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIYCH2RccAk&t=553s

But golly gee: Glad to see that it took only four replies to get to the point of betting that someone’s career was over. Finding fault is of course the most important thing in an incident like this. How about if we just don’t have military aircraft trying to impress the crowds at airshows?

I imagine they are designed with "worst case scenario" in mind, like wounded/unconscious air crew who'd be unable to steer, etc.

But I don't jump out of planes so I could be dead wrong about the steerable chutes.

When I first saw that I thought AI. Crazy crash. Glad they all punched out.

quote:

Originally posted by sigfreund:

quote:

Originally posted by 12131:
how could the one that came up from above and behind the other one not have seen it to avoid the collision?

A good discussion:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIYCH2RccAk&t=553s

So, the top/rear jet was supposed to “rejoin” the other one from below instead of from above, the position from which he’s blind of the forward jet. Question now is, why did he do what he wasn’t supposed to do. Guess we will find out in the coming days/weeks.

As someone who flies aerobatics in a little plane, per Federal Aviatiocn Regulations (FARs), if more than the required crewmember(s) are in the aircraft then everyone in the aircraft has to be wearing a chute. Aerobatic safety chutes differ from the ram air canopies that one often sees folks flying in jump demonstrations in at least two important ways: 1) They are generally simple round chutes. I can’t speak for all of them, but mine have a handle tacked to the risers on each side. After ejecting and stabilizing under the chute you can reach up, grab the handled, and break the tacks. Pulling either handle collapses a bit of the chute allowoyou to do basic turns. Unlike a ram air chute, you’re not going to want to pull both handles as it doesn’t cause you to flair, it just increases your sinkrate. 2) An aerobatic safety chutes differ doesn’t have a reserve. This is because that chute *is* your reserve. The first rigger I used (long since retired) said that if someone was jump certified he would pack a ram air chute for them, but he didn’t recommend it for jump qualified people and flat out refused to do it for anyone who wasn’t jump qualified.

Apparently, while a ram air canopy offers more maneuverability to the qualified operator, it is also easier to goof up if mishandled.

It is certainly possible that the military has made a decision to not spend time, money, and risk getting their pilots qualified to fly a ram air chute and instead chooses to stick with a simple round safety chutes.

quote:

Originally posted by 1s1k:
What is the reason these pilots use parachutes that are ancient technology with no directional control what so ever. You would think that having directional control could be the difference between life and death in many cases. Maybe it has to do with having to be able to handle a high speed ejection? Kind of strange if there’s no good reason.

They could have just as easily come down right into that massive fireball. Or say you eject at high altitude and you can steer away from enemy territory and go to a much better place to get rescued.

They do have limited directional control. As far as a ram air type, what is the chance of a full deployment at zero speed and on the deck? Little to none.

quote:

The main ejection seat in question is the Naval Aircrew Common Ejection Seat (NACES), currently installed in the T-45A/C, F-14D, and F/A-18C/D/E/F. The basic round canopy in this seat is more appropriately termed an aerodynamic decelerator; it will slow the rate of descent of an object, but (in the absence of wind or modifications to the canopy) the object will fall in a straight line to the ground. The GQ Type 5000 Aeroconical parachute in use in NACES is a 21-foot-diameter cone-shaped canopy constructed of 20 sections or gores.1 It is modified from a simple round by the use of Le-Moinge slots, located at two opposing gores, which allow for limited directional control and forward drive.2 If the slots have not been opened, the GQ Type 5000 has a rate of descent of 22 feet per second; when opened, the rate of descent is 20 feet per second.3

quote:

Originally posted by sigfreund:

But golly gee: Glad to see that it took only four replies to get to the point of betting that someone’s career was over…

Probably not over, but they might find themselves flying a cargo plane full of rubber dog shit out of Hong Kong!


Glad all got punched out and are unijured

Bummer, glad everyone made it out alive.

quote:

Originally posted by AllenInAR:
I imagine they are designed with "worst case scenario" in mind, like wounded/unconscious air crew who'd be unable to steer, etc.

But I don't jump out of planes so I could be dead wrong about the steerable chutes.

That makes some sense. Maybe a hybrid of some sort.

Its a miracle they all ejected. The planes locked together at just the right spot.