Danish F-16 Controlled Ejection

[Goldsmack]

I happened to stumble upon this on YouTube still watching but the beginning was so good I had to share. It was posted in 2015 so I don't know if its from a TV show or something. Its in Danish but there are English subtitles. Very interesting story.

 

[mvsgas]

Cool, thanks

Edited July 11, 2017 by mvsgas

[Devrim]

Thanks.

 

Nice video.

[Rangi]

A very well done video and interesting to watch. Thanks for posting (again)

[Alfa]

I happened to stumble upon this on YouTube still watching but the beginning was so good I had to share. It was posted in 2015 so I don't know if its from a TV show or something. Its in Danish but there are English subtitles. Very interesting story.

 

The video itself is an episode from a TV series called "Jagerpiloterne"(The fighter pilots) from 2017, but the actual ejection incident they talk about(and show in-cockpit footage from) took place in 2015.

 

The background for the ejection was that the F-16 in question encountered a blown tire on take-off, which tore the left main landing gear leg apart - they discussed all sorts of possible solutions and emergency landing approaches, but in the end decided that it was just too risky and told the pilot to eject.

Edited July 12, 2017 by Alfa
clarity

[Goldsmack]

I particularly like the idea of a test pilot suggestion of rolling inverted, using g-force and cycling the landing gear lever in an attempt to get the lading gear retracted for a belly landing. :thumbup:

[Alfa]

Well at 7:56 in the video you can see the damage to the landing gear - the actuator arm has broken off at the top(where attached to the airframe) and is hanging down about a meter or so below the wheel, so I don't see how it would be possible get the landing gear retracted back into the well :) .

 

Anyway, as I understand it, the rationale was that the risk of not being able to control the direction the aircraft during emerg landing was too high - i.e. if it came off the smooth surface of the runway and into soft ground, it could topple over and kill the pilot in the process.

[mvsgas]

As far as I can tell, that is the drag brace. It attaches to the inboard forward part of the wheel well. It controls the forward and aft motion of the landing gear and helps rotate the lower collar (where the tire and brake sit) during retractions and extension. It also locks the landing gear down and prevents it from folding by the down lock actuator.

[Alfa]

As far as I can tell, that is the drag brace. It attaches to the inboard forward part of the wheel well. It controls the forward and aft motion of the landing gear and helps rotate the lower collar (where the tire and brake sit) during retractions and extension. It also locks the landing gear down and prevents it from folding by the down lock actuator.

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Yes and hoping that flying inverted and pulling negative g's could cause it to collapse neatly back into the well along with the rest of the gear sounds a little optimistic IMHO - what is your take on that mvsgas?

[Svend_Dellepude]

It was a last resort before pulling the handle.

[mvsgas]

Yes and hoping that flying inverted and pulling negative g's could cause it to collapse neatly back into the well along with the rest of the gear sounds a little optimistic IMHO - what is your take on that mvsgas?

 

I agree with you and also think it could have cause more damage. It could have damage any of the hydraulic line or components and made the situation dire. Additionally, the air flow over the tire would prevented from moving forward into the bay, that is how the MLG is extended anyway, gravity and aerodynamic forces.

[Alfa]

I agree with you and also think it could have cause more damage. It could have damage any of the hydraulic line or components and made the situation dire. Additionally, the air flow over the tire would prevented from moving forward into the bay, that is how the MLG is extended anyway, gravity and aerodynamic forces.

 

My thoughts exactly.