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Jet Ejections That Made Aviation History

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CF-18 Air Show Practice Ends In Fireball

Canadian CF-18 Air Show Crash jet ejections
Kurt Roy

During an air show practice in Canada in July of 2010, Captain Brian Bews was flying a CF-18 Hornet when he suddenly found himself at a total loss of control of the powerful aircraft. While attempting a maneuver at very low altitude, a piston became stuck causing the engine to become idle mid air. Bews, realizing the plane was unrecoverable and heading towards the ground fast, ejected himself from the cockpit just in the nick of time.

The ejection was smooth, but the parachute became wrapped around his leg and violently dragged him for several hundred meters. He was lucky to survive. The plane’s malfunction caused the CF-18 demonstration team to cancel a number of planned performances in both Canada and the US.