Earlier this week, an F35 fighter jet of the U.K. crashed into the Mediterranean Sea and it cost them a minimum of $134 million (£100 million). The pilot, however, is fortunately safe and ejected before the crash. This was done as a last resort which shows how dire the situation was.
According to a Sydney Morning Herald report, there is a chance of breaking your spine when the eject option is used. Still, it is considered better for survival than to crash with the vehicle, said David Newman, a researcher in aviation medicine at Swinburne University, Australia.
After the initial phase of ejecting, a rocket fires directly under the seat. This burst can lift the pilot up 100 ft (30 m) above the aircraft, depending on the aircraft’s position, and the type of seat. This is considered phase 1. For phase 2, a parachute pops out of the seat. However, it does not guarantee the pilot’s safety ad is still considered deadly.
Afterward, below 10,000 ft (3,050 m) in height, the drogue shoot then pulls out the primary parachute right as the ejection seat’s mounting points detach from the pilot’s harness, leaving the seat to fall to its doom while the pilot is hoisted safely under the super-umbrella-like main chute. The whole process takes around three seconds. The jerks that are experienced in the process are of high intensity and can easily injure you. It is a very stressful time for the pilots.
If the pilot ejects between the heights of 20,000 and 30,000 ft (6,100 to 9,150 m), opening the main chute immediately would be bad. This is because it would take 20 minutes to reach the ground. At that moment, there is simply not enough oxygen to breathe, which is why oxygen bottles are usually attached to the seat. A barometric-pressure device will detect when the pilot has fallen below 10,000 ft (3,050 m), and then automatically deploy. The pilot risked his life, this can be determined for sure.