WICHITA FALLS, Texas — An Air Force instructor pilot was killed when the ejection seat activated while the aircraft was on the ground at a military base in Wichita Falls, officials say.
The instructor pilot, identified as Capt. John Robertson of the 80th Operations Support Squadron, was in a T-6A Texan II at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls when the seat activated during ground operations Monday, according to the Air Force.
"This is a devastating loss for Captain Robertson's family and loved ones, and for the entire 80th Flying Training Wing," said Col. Mitchell J. Cok, the acting wing commander. "Captain Robertson was a highly valued Airman and instructor pilot. Our deepest condolences go with all who knew and loved him."
An interim safety board investigation was convened immediately following the incident, and a full Air Force Safety Investigation Board is expected to be in place later this week, according to the Air Force. The board will release its report when the investigation is complete.
The T-6A Texan II is a single-engine two-seater aircraft that serves as a trainer for Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps pilots, the Associated Press reported. In a training flight an instructor can sit in the front or back seat; both have lightweight Martin-Baker ejection seats that are activated by a handle on the seat.
In 2022, the T-6 fleet and hundreds of other Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps jets were grounded after inspections revealed a potential defect with one component of the ejection seat's cartridge actuated devices, or CADs, according to the AP. The fleet was inspected and in some instances, the CADs were replaced.
When activated the cartridge explodes and starts the ejection sequence.
Ejection seats have been credited with saving pilots' lives, but they also have failed at critical moments in aircraft accidents, AP reports. Investigators identified ejection seat failure as a partial cause of an F-16 crash that killed 1st Lt. David Schmitz, 32, in June 2020, according to AP.
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