An Air Force instructor pilot tragically died after the ejection seat on his aircraft activated while the jet was still on the ground at a Texas military base, officials have said.
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 on Monday. The pilot suffered severe injuries when he was suddenly ejected from the plane.
He was taken to a hospital and died Tuesday, according to a statement from Sheppard Air Force Base. Col. Mitchell J. Cok, the acting wing commander, said: "This is a devastating loss for Captain Robertson's family and loved ones, and for the entire 80th Flying Training Wing.
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"Captain Robertson was a highly valued Airman and instructor pilot. Our deepest condolences go with all who knew and loved him." The Air Force said an interim safety board investigation was launched immediately following the incident.
The results of the investigation are set to be released but it is not clear when this will happen. Cok said: "We are thankful for the M1 maintenance team who immediately provided live-sustaining care, and for the heroic efforts of the security forces, fire and medical personnel here on base and at United Regional Hospital.
"Their efforts allowed time for Captain Robertson's family to be at his side when he passed." The T-6A Texan II is a single-engine two-seater aircraft that serves as a primary trainer for Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps pilots.
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. 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. According to aircrew training group AMST Group , over 8,000 pilot lives have been rescued with the use of their ejection seat.
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However, ejection seats have also failed at critical moments in aircraft accidents. Investigators identified ejection seat failure as a partial cause of an F-16 crash that killed 1st Lt. David Schmitz, 32, in June 2020.
In 2018, four members of a B-1 bomber crew earned the Distinguished Flying Cross when, with their aircraft on fire, they discovered one of the four ejection seats was indicating failure. Instead of bailing out, all of the crew decided to remain in the burning aircraft and land it so they all would have the best chance of surviving. All of the crew survived.
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