Russian ejection seat accident

[Slater]

Three seats fired upon engine startup? Never heard of that happening before.

 

https://tass.com/emergencies/1269273

[Sabrejet]

Back circa 1983, when we marshalled Hawks, we were told to turn our backs to the aircraft when the crew closed the canopy, due to a spate of MDC-induced canopy explosions. Not sure if that was mechanical, electrical or related to the MDC explosives.

 

I was however surprised that the Tu-22 doesn't have zero-zero seats.

[Jabba]

I am not sure but I think this was also the case with RAF Tornados on start up. The ground crew would sit under the fuselage besides the nose U/C whilst the canopy closed.

[exdraken]

Was not the aircraft commander ejecting the other 3 accidentally?

Need to read it up again!

 

This seat model, also used in the MiG-21 and -23 has no zero zero capability!

 

RAF Vulcans by the way only had ejection seat for the 2 pilots.... not the other 2 crew members! (In this special case here preferably of course!)

 

[junglierating]

1 hour ago, Jabba said:

I am not sure but I think this was also the case with RAF Tornados on start up. The ground crew would sit under the fuselage besides the nose U/C whilst the canopy closed.

I wonder if that was some interim control measure ...perhaps there was a temporary issue with the canopy MDC on closing....cant think why on SHARS the MDC detornator was set up with feeler gauges.

Meanwhile not suprised the the seats arent Zero Zero ....old aircraft.

What was suprising was that TASS were concerned for the local public.....guess things are chsnging 

[bootneck]

This reminds me of a situation when I was based at Yeovilton with 845 NAS.  During an air day in September 1975, a Harrier GR.1A pilot from RAF Wittering was fatally injured when the ejection seat activated as he was climbing out of the cab.  Not the same technical issue as the Russian, but it was a horrible site to happen in front of you.  The incident happened far enough away for the civilians to think it was just something going bang.

Mike

[exdraken]

same basic source, but still:

https://theaviationist.com/2021/03/23/ejection-seats-activation-during-preflight-operations-on-russian-tu-22m3-bomber-kills-three-crew-members/

 

"In preparation for the training flight, after launching the APU and working with the cockpit equipment, Captain, who is the deputy squadron commander, switched on all CB (Circuit Breakers) on the CB panel with the lever of the console.

At the same time, the system of forced departure of the crew was triggered according to the standard scheme (the commander of the aircraft leaves the plane on his own). When the forced exit system was triggered, four canopy door were dropped and three crew members were ejected. The mechanisms of the ejection seats worked normally, the separation of the crew members and the launching of the rescue parachutes took place normally, but due to the lack of conditions for safely leaving the aircraft (speed less than 130 km / h), the parachutes were not filled."

 

not what you wish for....

question is what triggered the ejection sequence? the commander or a faulty circuit?