HomeAbout the SiteContentsEjection ListsEjection StatisticsSite NewsAcknowledgementscontactFeedbackDisclaimer

I remember . . .

 

This is a new section of the website devoted to putting down peoples' memories of ejections. Most people can remember vague details, or incidents but not always put exact information with the event or person. Sometime an incident may come down the line by word of mouth and alter in its telling. Hopefully if enough information is gathered sooner or later the whole incident can be chronicled and dates, times and photographs added. If you can add any snippet of information, no matter how small or insignificant you may think it is, or if you think someone else will send the same details to this page, please take a few minutes to record your memories so that they are not lost to history.

 

1940s

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s
     

 

    

 
 

   1940s 

Date Air Force A'cft Unit / Serial based crashed crew seat photo

 

   1950s

Date Air Force A'cft Unit / Serial based crashed crew seat photo
early 1950s USN  F-9-F   NAS Miramar ground, inside hangar Lt. Robert Donaldson    

Back in the early 1950 era there was an ejection in the hangar at NAS Miramar.

As part of the aircraft inspection the ejection seat was removed. When it was re-installed a pilot was to go down and check it out with the 40mm charge removed from the seat. The pilot would get in the seat and pull the face curtain while the technician made sure the seat was operating correctly. Lt, Robert Donaldson was assigned to do this task on an F-9-F. He got  suited up and went down to the hangar deck and got in the aircraft. When he was strapped in he reached up and pulled the curtain. There was an explosion and Bob suddenly found himself near the ceiling of the hangar looking down at the plane below and thinking he was a dead man.

Bob and the seat returned to the deck of the hangar with the seat landing on its back which probably saved Bob's life. He spent a good many months recuperating at Balboa Naval Hospital in San Diego. He returned to flight status for several years but after a tour on board a carrier his ankle had to be fused.  After the fusion he could no longer operate the toe brakes, etc. on the aircraft and he was retired medically.

Hope this might be of interest to you.

Jim Toncray, Capt,. USN Ret.

[in an email received 11th September 2005]
 

   1960s
Date Air Force A'cft Unit / Serial based crashed crew photo seat
                 
22nd November 1968

Stephen "Chad" Fletcher

To contribute a little specificity to your notation, this ejection took place in the “Parrot’s Beak area” of South Vietnam, which is about due west of Saigon (now Ho Chi Min City). In fact to give you even more detail, I have attached an article that my daughter wrote. It relates the story of that afternoon. It is based on her hearing me tell one of my “favorite war stories”, and I submit it for your “I Remember” section. - Click on "I remember" to view the memory.
                 
                 

 1970s 

Date Air Force A'cft Unit / Serial based crashed crew seat photo

 

 1980s  

Date Air Force A'cft Unit / Serial based crashed crew seat photo

 

   1990s  

Date Air Force A'cft Unit / Serial based crashed crew seat photo

 

   2000s     

Date Air Force A'cft Unit / Serial based crashed crew seat photo

 

   No Clear Date    

Hello Mike,

I have a memory of a story told by a retired marine name R.E. Overman, Jr. Major, USMC (ret).  He past away a few years back.  He told us a story of ejecting from either an A-4 or A-6.  I have looked through your  records but have not been successful.  Is there any way to do a search to find it?

Thanks,

John

[in an email received 5th October 2005]

The date could be in the 1960s, 1970s or even 1980s - mcb