When The Right Stuff Goes Wrong: Real F/A-18E Super Hornet Crash Site Photo Mirrors Movie Scene
October 27, 2020 David Cenciotti Aviation Safety / Air Crashes
A photo of the Super Hornet pilot near the crash site after ejection is strikingly similar to a famous scene from “The Right Stuffâ€.
On Oct. 20, 2020, a U.S. Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet departed from NAS Lemoore, California, on a training mission over the Superior Valley, crashed on the west side of Highway 14, in Kern County, not far from Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California. The pilot successfully ejected from the jet, using the aircraft’s Mk14 (more commonly known as SJU17A and NACES) ejection seat.
Martin-Baker (MB) “the world leader in the design and manufacture of ejection and crashworthy seats†and the manufacturer of the NACES ejection seat, shared a nice photograph on their social media channel today. The image, originally posted by KSEE24 News, shows the pilot, still wearing its JHMCS (Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System), using what seems to be a smartphone, next to crash site, right after the ejection.
First of all, the photo gives an interesting hint: based on the emblem on the pilot’s helmet, the aircraft was likely operated by Strike Fighter Squadron 14 (VFA-14) “Tophattersâ€, based at NAS Lemoore and a component of Carrier Air Wing Nine (CVW-9), which is attached to the John C. Stennis Strike Group.
https://theaviationist.com/2020/10/27/when-the-right-stuff-goes-wrong-real-f-a-18e-super-hornet-crash-site-photo-mirrors-movie-scene/
