Ejection from a fighter jet: What are the risks?
Sometimes, the force of ejection can be so great that a pilot's head can suddenly snap forward or back, causing neck or other injuries.
- Mar 12, 2019,
- Updated Mar 13, 2019 1:26 PM IST
Ejection of a pilot from an aircraft that is crashing or has been hit is made possible by a special system with rocket power beneath the seat that is activated by the pilot.
The rocket pushes the seat with the pilot upwards by about 30 meters. While this is a life saving measure, ejection from a fighter jet can have serious consequences. This is because of the forces involved.
The forces acting on the body are dependent on the velocity at which the fighter jet is flying. Higher the velocity, greater the impact. The energy transfer to the body is a function of square of the velocity ( E = 1/2 mv2).
When the seat is ejected, first a small chute opens out and as the pilot starts falling down a larger chute opens and the seat falls away. At altitude of about 3000 meters all this happens quickly and there is not much problem of oxygen supply.
Ejection of a pilot from an aircraft that is crashing or has been hit is made possible by a special system with rocket power beneath the seat that is activated by the pilot.
The rocket pushes the seat with the pilot upwards by about 30 meters. While this is a life saving measure, ejection from a fighter jet can have serious consequences. This is because of the forces involved.
The forces acting on the body are dependent on the velocity at which the fighter jet is flying. Higher the velocity, greater the impact. The energy transfer to the body is a function of square of the velocity ( E = 1/2 mv2).
When the seat is ejected, first a small chute opens out and as the pilot starts falling down a larger chute opens and the seat falls away. At altitude of about 3000 meters all this happens quickly and there is not much problem of oxygen supply.