Mishaps Provide Source of Information For NAVAIR
Story Number: NNS030221-05
2/21/2003
By Vicky Falcón, Naval Air Systems Command Public Affairs
PATUXENT RIVER, Md. (NNS) -- When a U.S. Navy F-14 Tomcat pilot and his radar interceptor were forced to eject from their aircraft into the Caribbean late last month, they probably didn't know how valuable their experience was to a small group of men and women at the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) facility in Patuxent River, Md.
Once safely rescued, the pilot and crew were able to shed their wet flight gear and return to their daily routines. That flight gear and the salvaged survival equipment were then packed into plastic bags and sent to NAVAIR's life support systems team for detailed analysis. The ejection seat should eventually end up at one of NAVAIR's escape and crashworthy systems fleet support team locations - NAVAIR Cherry Point, N.C.; NAVAIR China Lake, Calif.; NAVAIR Jacksonville, Fla.; NAVAIR North Island, Calif.; or at NAVAIR Patuxent River.
Real-life testing of a product is the way to generate the most accurate and valuable data, but getting that type of evaluation for aviation flight gear and survival equipment is difficult.
"We don't get a lot of pilots volunteering to eject from their aircraft," said Lt. Cmdr. Matthew Hebert, life support systems team leader. But according to Hebert, a crash is the ultimate test for their equipment. "Other tests just don't give us the same results."
"We are the service station for flight equipment," said Hebert. "We fix broken equipment, we make modifications and we make sure it all integrates the way it's supposed to with other equipment, the aircrew and the aircraft."
Part of making sure every piece is working correctly involves inspecting those pieces that get used in a mishap. Once the gear arrives at Patuxent River, the fleet support team pours over every inch of every piece for verification that the equipment performed properly. If a product did not live up to expectations, engineers and technicians immediately begin to look at design changes and modifications.
"Even though the escape was a success," such as last month's F-14 crash, said Hebert, "We still need to see the equipment - we want to know how to make it even better."
"We treat the equipment from a mishap like gold," he continued. "We want to prove our point over and over again. When integrated properly, (our equipment) saves lives - and we're in the business to save lives."
John Mountjoy agrees. As team leader for the escape and crashworthy systems fleet support team at NAVAIR, he, too, is working to save lives. Maintaining older models of ejection seats, fielding new models, developing future systems and performing mishap investigations are all part of his job. And it's a labor of love.
"It's great when you go out to a mishap and are able to interview the guy you saved," said Mountjoy. "That validates what we do."
According to Mountjoy, new technology and more integrated systems are improving the safety of U.S. Navy and Marine Corps pilots.
"The escape systems and cockpit for the new Joint Strike Fighter are being designed as an integrated whole," said Mountjoy. "Elements of the seat are active constantly, requiring a seamless integration between the man, the helmet, the cockpit and the seat."
Mountjoy's team also develops crashworthy seats for helicopters. Those seats carry the survival gear that could mean the difference between life and death for the men and women aboard.
"Those seats are designed to absorb the impact of a hard landing," said Mountjoy. And the emergency radio beacon, flashlight, flares, water, raft and fishing gear can keep you alive until help arrives."
Current ejection seats in use include advances made by Mountjoy's team to make the configuration of ejection seats suitable for both small females and large men - improving the chances of survival for both extremes.
And another improvement could be available to the fleet as early as this spring.
Extended flying time to perform missions in Afghanistan has led to increased crew fatigue, said Mountjoy. Final testing of changes to make the seats more comfortable are underway now, he said, which should result in less incidence of chronic back pain and leg numbness for those who sit in them.
"Anything we add cannot degrade the ejection process, though," cautioned Mountjoy. "Knowing that what we do and what we design is saving lives gives us tremendous satisfaction."
NAVAIR provides advanced warfare technology through the efforts of a seamless, integrated, worldwide network of aviation technology experts.
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