Overview

• On August 12, a backseat ride-along passenger in F-15D serial 85-0134 unexpectedly ejected while taxiing at Barnes Air National Guard Base, deploying the Collins Aerospace ACES II zero-zero seat.
• Bystander video shows a plume of smoke, the jettisoned canopy on the jet’s left wing and the passenger crawling near a deployed parachute as the aircraft continued to roll.
• Radio communications recorded the pilot, callsign RAMBO 01, declaring a ground emergency and coordinating a runway shutdown with air traffic control.
• The 104th Fighter Wing lifted its 36-hour safety standdown Thursday after confirming no serious injuries and dispatching one service member to a hospital for evaluation.
• A formal investigation will probe how the ejection handle was triggered and evaluate ride-along procedures and ejection-seat safety protocols