Aircraft by type

McDonnell F2H Banshee

Ejections

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FEEDBACK

I read your ad in the July 2006 MOAA magazine and thought I would send you
the following:

I was a newly designated U.S. Naval Aviator and green Ensign assigned to
Attack Squadron 76 stationed at Oceana, VA in May of 1955. We had been
assigned Reserve Force McDonnel Douglas F2H2 Banshee aircraft while waiting
for our Grumman F9F8 Cougars. On Dec 7, 1955 (as auspicious date) I was
flying an instrument training flight in VFR conditions over Richmond, VA at
20,000 feet. My leader was in the chase position acting as FAA control
providing me with flight clearance instructions. I had just entered a
holding pattern at about 200 knots awaiting further clearance from my flight
leader. As I rolled out of a turn I felt a significant "bump" and the
aircraft started a right climbing turn I had not commanded. I attempted to
lower the nose and level the wings but the aircraft did not respond and kept
climbing to the right. I realized I did not have control and elected to
eject. When I released my grip on the control stick the control stick
smashed into the instrument panel breaking the glass on the directional gyro
instrument. Convinced that I was no longer in control I raised the leg
restraints and reached for the face curtain. I pulled the face curtain and
was ejected successfully from the aircraft. )It wasn't until I was on the
ground and had called back to the squadron that I learned that my flight
leader had run into my vertical stabilizer with his starboard wing tank,
ripping the fuselage just forward of the empennage. The wind stream then
tore the entire empennage, which was intact except for a bent vertical
stabilizer, from the aircraft. It was the departure of the empennage that
pulled the control cables causing the right climbing turn).

I succesfully separated myself manually from the ejection seat, located the
parachute D ring and popped the chute. I was still about 20000 feet so it
took almost 20 minutes to reach the ground. I was uninjured and I only lost
the kneepad cards from my kneeboard which stayed on my thigh. The aircraft
and associated parts (empennage, seat, canopy, and tailless aircraft) hit
the ground in a high class residential area causing a house fire. By the
time I reached the ground news of the aircraft impact was already on the TV.

There is more to this sea story but I figure this is enough for now. Let me
know what else you would like and I will see what I can retrieve.

Regards,

Robert Ammann
CAPT, USN, Retired