A pilot instructor at Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas died Tuesday after being injured Monday when his seat in a training plane ejected during ground operations.
Capt. John Robertson of the 80th Operations Support Squadron was in a T-6A Texan II, a turboprop, two-seat, single-engine plane used for training, on the ground at the base when the seat flew up, the air base said in a release.
Sheppard AFB officials didn’t say what caused the seat to eject, nor did they specify the nature of Capt. Robertson’s injuries.
A student pilot sitting in the plane’s second seat was uninjured, Sheppard AFB spokesman George Woodward told the military newspaper Stars & Stripes.
“This is a devastating loss for Captain Robertson’s family and loved ones, and for the entire 80th Flying Training Wing. Captain Robertson was a highly valued Airman and instructor pilot. Our deepest condolences go with all who knew and loved him,” Col. Mitchell Cok, acting wing commander, said in a statement.
The incident will be looked into by the Air Force Safety Investigation Board, base officials said. Capt. Robertson’s death was the first associated with a T-6A Texan II since 2004, according to the Air Force Times.
The incident comes two years after jets across the Navy, Marines and Air Force were grounded due to potential defects in ejection seat cartridges. Around 40% of the Air Force’s jets were grounded due to the inspections, according to Stars & Stripes.
The cartridges explode upon activation, which starts the ejection.
Some of the cartridges across the military’s air fleets were replaced following the 2022 inspections.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
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