Passenger accidentally ejects from F-15D Eagle in Massachusetts

A ride-along passenger in a US Air National Guard F-15D Eagle appears to have unintentionally ejected from the aircraft while it was taxiing at Barnes Air National Guard Base in Westfield, Massachusetts. 

In footage posted on social media, the two-seat fighter can be seen rolling along the taxiway with a puff of smoke rising from the rear cockpit. The canopy, blown off during the ejection sequence, lands across the jet’s left wing. The rear-seat occupant is visible on the ground near what appears to be a deployed parachute, as the F-15 continues to taxi past. 

According to an unverified post on the Air Force amn/nco/snco Facebook page, the passenger was a member of the 104th Fighter Wing, which operates the F-15C/D Eagle, and was reportedly on an “incentive flight,” a ride often offered to non-pilot personnel as a reward or morale-building activity. The US Air National Guard has not confirmed the identity of the passenger or their condition. 

Barnes Air National Guard Base shares facilities with Westfield–Barnes Regional Airport in Massachusetts. Established in 1923, the site has hosted the Massachusetts Air National Guard since 1946 and is home to the 104th Fighter Wing, nicknamed the “Barnestormers.” The unit operates F-15C/D Eagles on 24/7 Air Control Alert missions to protect the northeastern United States and is scheduled to transition to the F-35A Lightning II by 2026. 

Ejecting at “zero-zero” 

Modern ejection seats, such as the McDonnell Douglas ACES II fitted to the F-15, are designed to function at “zero-zero” conditions, no altitude and little to no forward speed, but such procedures remain inherently risky. Accidental ground ejections are rare and can result in serious injury. 

The incident bears similarities to a 2019 case in France, when a civilian passenger in a French Air Force Rafale B inadvertently activated the ejection handle during take-off from Saint-Dizier Air Base. In that case, the French investigation bureau for State aviation safety (BEA-E) found a combination of passenger unpreparedness, procedural lapses, and technical issues. The Rafale’s pilot narrowly avoided being ejected himself due to a malfunction in the seat sequencing system, which allowed him to land the aircraft safely. 

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In 2021, three crewmembers of a Russian Tu-22M3 bomber were killed when their ejection seats activated during pre-flight checks at Shaykovka Air Base. At such low altitude, their parachutes could not deploy in time.

The Massachusetts incident is expected to prompt a formal investigation to determine how the ejection handle was triggered and whether any procedural or technical factors contributed. Incentive flights typically involve detailed safety briefings and cockpit familiarization to reduce the risk of mishandling controls. 

AeroTime has contacted the 104th Fighter Wing for comment on the incident. The post Passenger accidentally ejects from F-15D Eagle in Massachusetts appeared first on AeroTime.

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