In a flat spin, a case not anticipated during development, it is possible that the canopy stays trapped in the turbulent, separated flow above the airplane, and then the first seat to come out has a chance of hitting it. The ejection system of the F-14 was certified for 0-0 ejection (on the ground and at rest), and the canopy would be thrown backwards by an explosive charge. In the F-14, first the backseater (RIO - radar intercept officer) would eject, and the ejection of the pilot would happen 0.4 s later. The ejection sequence is at least factually wrong when showing both seats being ejected almost simultaneously. Unfortunately, I found no detailed reference.įor the likelihood of the events which lead to the ejection sequence, see this question. This question has been asked before on the Net, and there are some who say it happened once in advanced training operations. jettison canopy, then command eject") to avoid the fairly good possibility of the back seat hitting the canopy actually happening (along with possible pilot incapacitation). The manually jettison first procedure was SPECIFICALLY created in our manual ("RIO. Otherwise, simply pulling ejection handles only means the backseat immediately followed the canopy in firing only a half second after the canopy left in a normal ejection sequence - risking the back seat hitting it (like Goose). Those couple of seconds to get to the ejection handles after the canopy jettison gave the canopy time to clear the area overhead the cockpit since the aerodynamics of the flat spin (going straight down while spinning like a frisbee) could cause the canopy to "hover" over the cockpit area briefly. AFTER doing so, you THEN reached for the seat ejection handles and pull to eject. The canopy was to be MANUALLY "jettisoned" FIRST via the Canopy Jettison handle. We actually had a written and memorized procedure that when ejecting from a FLAT SPIN you did not just pull the ejection seat handle(s). I was a pilot in the Tomcat for 1,800 hours 1975-85. Upsets the carefully engineered sequence because the guy in the backĬould then hit the canopy. In a flat spin, the canopy, when it ejects, bobblesįor an extra few hundredths of a second above the aircraft. Is jettisoned, followed by the ejection of the back seat, followed by The timing of the ejection sequence," Dr. "The aerodynamics of the F-14 flat spin affect How a flat spin could actually happen with an F-14 and that itĬomplicates ejection. Schallhorn said during his interview for the movie, he explained Schallhorn, who apparently was one of top gun instructors interviewed for the movie:ĭr. I have a photo of the 'real' Goose and it's true that he died of seatĮjections but not exactly like the movie. Don't remember the specifics, justįound this out recently while reading an article in one of last months The way Goose died was actually based on a real life incident that Producers wanted a midair crash but based this accident on a Some sources I found claiming the event was real:Ī flat spin creates a low-pressure area and stalls the canopy whenĮjected.
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