Current:Home > ScamsAir Force pilot-instructor dies after seat of training plane ejects at Texas base -FundPrime
Air Force pilot-instructor dies after seat of training plane ejects at Texas base
View
Date:2025-04-17 15:44:19
An Air Force Base instructor-pilot died in Texas Tuesday morning just a day after their ejection seat activated during ground operations, according to base officials.
The pilot at the Sheppard Air Force Base was injured when the ejection seat of the trainer aircraft, the T-6A Texan II, released at about 2 p.m. Monday, public affairs officials said.
The aircrew member was transported to United Regional Health Care System in Wichita Falls for treatment after they were injured Monday.
Per Air Force policy, the base is withholding the name of the pilot until 24 hours after the notification of next of kin.
Investigation into cause is underway
An investigation into the cause of the ejection is underway, 82nd Training Wing public affairs officials said in statements.
The pilot was part of the 80th Training Flying Wing, which conducts the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training program at the Sheppard base, according to the its website. Combat pilots for NATO are trained in the multinational program, the only such program in the world.
The T-6A Texan II is primarily used for entry-level training, and it is equipped for a crew of two, a student-pilot and an instructor-pilot seated one in front of the other, the base website states.
Their positions are interchangeable. But an air crewmember can also pilot the plane alone from the front seat. The single-engine aircraft was designed to train students in basic flying skills for Air Force and Navy pilots.
Ejection seats intended to save lives
Ejection seats are used as a safety mechanism for pilots who need to exit the plane in immediate danger.
Over 8,000 pilot lives have been rescued with the use of their ejection seat, according to aircrew training group AMST Group.
However, ejection seats have previously failed. Officials identified the failure of one as a partial cause for the death of Lt. David Schmitz, a 32-year-old pilot who was killed in a F-16 crash at South Carolina’s Shaw Air Force Base in June 2020.
veryGood! (152)
Related
- Skins Game to make return to Thanksgiving week with a modern look
- Hurricane Beryl remains at Category 5 as it roars toward Jamaica: Live updates
- Hunter Biden sues Fox News for publishing nude photos, videos of him in 'mock trial' show
- Biden administration proposes rule to protect workers from extreme heat
- Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
- Judge sides with 16 states, putting on pause Biden’s delay of consideration of gas export projects
- José Raúl Mulino sworn in as Panama’s new president, promises to stop migration through Darien Gap
- What's a personality hire? Here's the value they bring to the workplace.
- Tree trimmer dead after getting caught in wood chipper at Florida town hall
- US job openings rise to 8.1 million despite higher interest rates
Ranking
- What do we know about the mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey?
- Stripper, adult establishments sue Florida over new age restriction
- Biden administration proposes rule to protect workers from extreme heat
- When do new 'Bluey' episodes come out? Release date, time, where to watch
- Jorge Ramos reveals his final day with 'Noticiero Univision': 'It's been quite a ride'
- Tennessee enacts law requiring GPS tracking of violent domestic abusers, the first of its kind in U.S.
- Highlights from Supreme Court term: Rulings on Trump, regulation, abortion, guns and homelessness
- Proof Margot Robbie and Tom Ackerley's Romance Is Worthy of an Award
Recommendation
Nearly half of US teens are online ‘constantly,’ Pew report finds
Hawaii teachers say they want to prioritize civic education — but they need more help
What we know about the fatal police shooting of a 13-year-old boy in upstate New York
Ticketmaster confirms data breach, won't say how many North American customers compromised
Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
Powerball winning numbers for July 1 drawing: Jackpot rises to $138 million
Former Iowa police chief sentenced to 5 years in prison in federal gun case
Union sues Philadelphia over requirement that city workers return to the office full time