This mishap happened in the mid 80's during a training mission aboard an Ecuador Air Force's BAC Strikemaster Mk-89

"Every day, we are reviewing emergency procedures and imagining dangerous situations that could happen. We are prepared for events like that, yes !, but we never really think that, one day something fatal could happen. But, even when we less expected, that day comes ! 

My story is about an experience never planned and expected. Experience that made Me get closer to the dead .

Everything started like this:  After the briefing for the day's mission, we took off with three Strikemasters, we got to the assigned area and we were doing everything normally, when after leaving from a turn  I felt a huge shock coming from under my plane. I was thinking about a possible bird strike, since  some birds were crossing the sky at the same time. I canceled immediately the normal work that I was doing and I asked to the No 2 plane of the formation flight to take a look to my plane's belly. He did, when, accompanied by a tremendous hit and the screeching sound of metal being twisted , I saw my No 2 coming out upwards from  the nose of my plane. I Watched the two pilots helmets from the other plane and is when my ordeal had begun !.

I was watching the ground coming closer and closer and I only was thinking that was the end of my days !, the end of my existence; My whole Life was passing through my mind as if it was a movie, thinking about that I was leaving my Home, my Family, forever !

While I was thinking about all of this, I was spinning in the air, still trapped to the ejection seat. All of the sudden, everything stop, and I was floating in the air with the parachute fully deployed. I couldn't believe it ! It was such a great joy ! I was still alive !

Immediately after I brought to my mind lessons from accidents occurred during ejection. I had to work right away and be prepared for the landing.

I dropped the surviving gear in order to protect my legs. While doing this, I looked downwards and watch it touching the ground, immediately after this it was Me, coming to Earth.

This time I was very lucky ! Thanks to God, because if I was delayed just one more second trying to save the plane and if I wouldn't hit in the lower part of the terrain, I woudn't be telling you this story.

I had jump to Life again ! I was born again !

After this experience in my life, I came back to work with more motivation than before, with a clear conviction that a human life has only one chance and an airplane can be replaced later.

Marco Yepez R.

Ecuador's Air Force, Liutenant.

reprinted the story kindly  translated and sent to me by
Wilson Fernando Garrido Chavez