Air Force Instructor Dies After Texan II’s Ejection Seat Activates on Ground

The incident occurred at the 82nd Training Wing at Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas.

Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 01:51 PM ET

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A Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training program pilot in the back seat of a T-6A Texan II watches as an F-35A Lightning II lands at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, January 10, 2019. [Courtesy: U.S. Air Force]

Key Takeaways:

A U.S. Air Force flight instructor died after his T-6 Texan II's ejection seat activated while the aircraft was on the ground at Sheppard Air Force Base.
The incident occurred on Monday, leading to the pilot's death about 12 hours later, and is currently under Air Force investigation.
There is a history of issues with T-6 Texan II ejection seats, including a 2022 grounding due to a potential defect that required replacements.

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A U.S. Air Force flight instructor died Tuesday after the ejection seat in his T-6 Texan II activated while the aircraft was on the ground the day before.

The incident occurred Monday at the 82nd Training Wing at Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas, but the pilot was attached to the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program that instructs new military pilots from Canada and various European countries.