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What happens when a fighter pilot ejects? Inside the split-second escape after F-15E hit over Iran
A U.S. Air Force crew had only seconds to react after their F-15E Strike Eagle was hit by enemy fire over Iran Friday. Both airmen ejected.
The escape from the aircraft — triggered in an instant — set off a high-risk rescue mission deep inside hostile territory, as U.S. forces raced to recover the crew before Iranian forces could reach them.
In those few seconds, the ejection seat transforms from a last-resort safety system into an explosive escape mechanism — launching the crew out of the aircraft and into open air before a parachute deploys.
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That is the sequence the pilot and weapon systems officer aboard the F-15E over Iran would have experienced after their aircraft was struck Friday, forcing them to eject and triggering a high-risk rescue operation over the weekend. The incident — and the successful recovery of both airmen in recent days — offers a rare look at what happens in the split second a pilot ejects, and the extreme forces they endure to survive.
“It’s a violent event,” Pete “Gunz” Gersten, a former F-16 pilot who flew special operations missions, told Fox News Digital.
The moment a pilot pulls the ejection handle, the sequence begins almost instantly.
The canopy disappears in a fraction of a second. The seat rockets upward, forcing the body through intense acceleration.
When a pilot pulls the ejection handle, they are subjected to forces ranging from 14G to 20G (14 times to 20 times the force of gravity), according to military experts. For a 200-pound airman, this means their body feels as if it suddenly weighs 4,000 pounds.
“You’re no longer a decision-maker,” Gersten said, describing what happens to pilots who eject. “You’re a participant, and you’re on the ride.”
Within moments, the aircraft falls away behind them, while the crew is suspended in open air, waiting for the parachute to deploy.
That is the moment the two airmen over Iran would have faced after their aircraft was struck Friday, forcing them to eject and triggering a high-risk rescue operation over the weekend as U.S. forces worked to locate and recover them in hostile territory.
The successful recovery of both the pilot and the weapon systems officer in the F-15E in recent days underscored both the risks of operating in contested airspace and the importance of rapid rescue capabilities.
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Pilots never actually practice a real ejection.
Instead, they train for an emergency they hope never happens, relying on repetition, simulation and memorized procedures to prepare for a moment that unfolds in seconds.
“You’re relying on muscle memory for something you’ve never actually done,” Gersten said.
That training begins before pilots ever take their first flight.
“When they start flying, before they even get in the cockpit, they’ve been trained on how to get out of the aircraft in case something goes wrong,” Gersten said.
It starts in the classroom, where pilots learn how the ejection system works. From there, they move into simulators designed to replicate parts of the experience — without exposing them to the full force of a real escape.
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In one system, the ejection seat is mounted on a rail and launched upward, giving pilots a partial sense of the acceleration they would feel in an actual emergency.
But the training doesn’t stop once the seat “fires.”
Pilots are then strapped into harness systems that simulate a parachute descent, often using virtual reality to recreate the sensation of floating above the ground. There, they rehearse a strict sequence of actions — clearing their visor, checking their canopy, preparing their gear and steering toward a safe landing zone.
“There’s no checklist you can reference when you’re hanging in a parachute,” Gersten said. “You actually have to memorize them.”
At the end of the simulation, trainees are dropped to the ground to practice the final —and often the most dangerous — phase: landing.
“You have to be prepared, you have to be trained, otherwise you can hurt yourself,” Gersten said.
Before pulling the handle, pilots are trained to press their bodies straight back against the seat, keeping their spine rigid and aligned to reduce the risk of serious injury.
In two-seat aircraft like the F-15E, either the pilot or weapon systems officer can initiate an ejection. Once triggered, the system automatically ejects both airmen in rapid succession, separated by fractions of a second to prevent midair collision.
Even after the parachute deploys, the danger isn’t over.
“The biggest concern … is where am I going to land?” Gersten said.
Pilots are trained to prepare for a wide range of scenarios — from water landings to mountainous terrain — each carrying its own risks. Landing injuries are common, particularly if a pilot is not properly positioned or prepared for impact.
For the two airmen who ejected over Iran, that training helped make a violent, unpredictable escape survivable deep inside hostile territory.
The pilot of the F-15E was picked up by U.S. forces later Friday. But the weapon system officer had to hide out in enemy territory until he was spotted by the U.S. and rescued Sunday.
“The second crew member — a heroic weapon system officer — was in tough shape after ejecting,” Trump said in a press conference. “He scaled cliff faces bleeding rather profusely, treated his own wounds, and contacted American forces. He was besieged by Iranian militia, but he managed to evade capture by scaling treacherous mountain terrain … he is a brave warrior.”
Modern systems have a survival rate of roughly 90% to 95%, according to military and medical studies, but injuries are common. Research shows that up to 30% of pilots suffer spinal fractures during ejection, while broader reviews have found major injuries in roughly one-third of cases.
If a pilot’s arms or legs are out of position, the extreme wind blast can cause what are known as “flail injuries,” leading to fractures or dislocations.
Vice President JD Vance arrived in Pakistan early Saturday, where he is leading high-stakes negotiations with Iran aimed at preserving a fragile ceasefire and preventing a broader regional war.
Vance is joined by U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, as part of a senior delegation engaging Iranian officials in Islamabad.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf will be negotiating for Iran.
The talks, scheduled for Saturday, come over a month after the U.S. launched Operation Epic Fury on Feb. 28 — a sweeping military campaign targeting Iran’s military infrastructure following the collapse of nuclear negotiations.
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That operation pushed the U.S. and Iran to the brink of a ground war before a tenuous diplomatic breakthrough in recent days.
Trump announced a two-week ceasefire Tuesday, agreeing to suspend further U.S. strikes on the condition that Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route.
While Iran signaled it would allow passage through the strait as part of the agreement, traffic remains severely disrupted, with shipping companies hesitant to resume normal operations amid ongoing security concerns and uncertainty over enforcement.
Vance struck a cautious tone before departing, warning Iran not to test the U.S. negotiating posture.
“If they’re gonna try and play us, then they’re gonna find that the negotiating team is not that receptive,” Vance said, adding he still expects the talks to be “positive.”
The outcome of the talks could determine whether the ceasefire holds or collapses into renewed hostilities, as both sides remain deeply divided after weeks of conflict.
Iranian officials have struck a cautious and conditional tone ahead of the talks.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said it accepted the two-week ceasefire but warned “this does not signify the termination of the war,” adding that “our hands remain upon the trigger” if the agreement is violated.
Vance described the agreement Wednesday as a “fragile truce.”
Iran also has tied the success of the ceasefire to developments in Lebanon, insisting that Israeli strikes on Hezbollah must stop as part of any broader agreement. Tehran has warned that continued attacks could jeopardize the talks, highlighting a key dispute with Israel and the U.S., which have argued Lebanon is not covered by the truce.
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Pakistan has emerged as a key intermediary, positioning itself as a neutral venue between Washington and Iran after helping broker the initial truce. But that role is already facing scrutiny.
Pakistan’s defense minister, Khawaja Asif, sparked backlash recently after calling Israel’s actions a “curse on humanity” in a now-deleted X post and, in a separate exchange, saying critics should “burn in hell.”
The remarks drew a sharp response from Israeli officials, who questioned Pakistan’s credibility as a neutral broker. Israeli leaders described the comments as “outrageous” and warned such rhetoric was incompatible with serving as a mediator, while Israel’s ambassador to India publicly said, “we don’t trust Pakistan.”
Pakistani officials have not directly addressed the controversy surrounding Asif’s remarks but have defended their broader role, emphasizing Islamabad’s efforts to broker the ceasefire and facilitate talks. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for “dialogue and diplomacy,” while officials say both Washington and Iran have expressed confidence in Pakistan’s mediation.
The talks are also unfolding against a challenging security backdrop.
U.S. officials have long treated Pakistan as a high-threat environment for official travel, with strict movement controls and layered security measures typically required for American personnel.
Bill Gage, a former Secret Service agent who traveled to Islamabad with President George W. Bush, told Fox News Digital the threat environment in Pakistan historically has ranked among the most severe faced by U.S. protective teams, requiring constant coordination and heightened precautions.
“The threat environment in Pakistan was one of the worst the Secret Service had ever operated in,” Gage said of his experience in 2006. “We were briefed that al-Qaeda wanted to kidnap an agent, so we always had to be in pairs.”
Pakistan continues to grapple with persistent terrorism threats.
The State Department currently classifies the country as a Level 3 travel risk, warning of potential attacks, crime and kidnapping, and noting that extremist groups have carried out strikes in major cities, including Islamabad.
Still, U.S. officials view the Islamabad meeting as a rare opening for diplomacy, with discussions expected to include nuclear restrictions, sanctions relief and broader regional security issues.
Whether the talks produce a lasting breakthrough or plunge the Middle East back into conflict may hinge on whether both Washington and Iran are willing to move beyond decades of mistrust.
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Kai Trump shares photos from Augusta National after Tiger Woods’ DUI arrest, treatment departure
Amateur golfer Kai Trump was on hand for one of the sport’s premier events this week. The granddaughter of President Donald Trump traveled to historic Augusta National Golf Club, where she had the opportunity to get an up-close look at some of the world’s top golfers competing for the coveted Masters green jacket.
But Trump traveled to Georgia knowing five-time Masters champion Tiger Woods would be absent. Woods was arrested after a rollover crash in Florida late last month.
He later announced he would not compete at this year’s Masters. A Florida judge allowed the golfer to travel outside the U.S. to enter a “comprehensive inpatient treatment facility,” court records showed.
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Trump’s mother, Vanessa, has been publicly linked to Woods and showed support after his DUI arrest, writing “Love you” in an Instagram Stories post featuring the pair.
The 18-year-old Trump shared highlights from her visit to Augusta National in a post on Instagram Thursday, including a photo with LIV Golf’s Bryson DeChambeau and his caddie, Greg Bodine.
“What a special place,” Kai, who is set to take the next step in her golf career at Miami, captioned an Instagram post with a heart emoji.
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The Martin County Sheriff’s Office in Florida said Woods was traveling at “a high rate of speed” when his vehicle collided with another car, causing it to roll over onto the driver’s side.
Authorities said Woods “exemplified signs of impairment.” He blew “triple-zeroes” for alcohol but refused a urine test.
“DUI investigators came to the scene here, and Mr. Woods did exemplify signs of impairment. They did several tests on him. Of course, he did explain the injuries and the surgeries that he had. We did take that into account, but they did do some in-depth roadside tests,” a sheriff’s department spokesperson said.
Woods entered a not guilty plea in response to the DUI charges. Before his arrest, he indicated that playing the season’s first major was a possibility.
In the 14 majors since he won the green jacket in 2019, Woods has failed to muster a top 20 finish. It’s his longest such streak since failing to finish in the top 20 in the first six majors of his career in 1995 and 1996. In his last 26 majors, he has only four top 20 finishes.
Since finishing tied for ninth at the 2020 Farmers Insurance Open, his best finish in his 18 official events since then has been a tie for 37th at the 2020 PGA Championship.
Woods has not competed in a professional golf tournament since 2024, when he competed in just five events — the Genesis Invitational and the four majors. He withdrew from the Genesis, finished dead last in the Masters and missed the cut in the other majors.
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New York Times investigating NFL reporter Dianna Russini after photos with Patriots coach Mike Vrabel emerge
Photographs emerged showing New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel with The Athletic/New York Times NFL reporter Dianna Russini at a resort in Arizona earlier this week, and now that reporter is the subject of an internal investigation.
Athletic executive editor Steven Ginsberg initially gave a statement to the New York Post’s Page Six April 7, calling the photos “misleading.”
“These photos are misleading and lack essential context,” Ginsberg initially said. “These were public interactions in front of many people. Dianna is a premier journalist covering the NFL, and we’re proud to have her at The Athletic.”
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Now, sources at The Athletic familiar with the controversy told Fox News Digital Russini is being investigated, while standing by Ginsberg’s initial statement.
The sources responded to Fox News Digital after Page Six and Front Office Sports reported on the internal investigation into Russini.
“After Page Six reached out to Dianna for comment on Tuesday, The Athletic immediately began an investigation. While the apparent conduct in the photos raised questions for Steven and leadership at The Athletic, an initial review suggested the images provided lacked context, specifically the presence of a larger group of friends,” a source said.
“New details from the Page Six report and information from the investigation raised additional concerns that are now being further reviewed. The investigation is ongoing.”
The source added Russini’s coverage is being reviewed, which is expected to take time, and she will not be reporting for the outlet in the meantime.
The New York Times declined to comment.
The photos, originally published by Page Six, show the coach and journalist holding hands and hugging on the roof of a resort bungalow in Sedona, Arizona.
Vrabel addressed the photos, telling Page Six, “These photos show a completely innocent interaction, and any suggestion otherwise is laughable. This doesn’t deserve any further response.”
Russini told the outlet, “The photos don’t represent the group of six people who were hanging out during the day. Like most journalists in the NFL, reporters interact with sources away from stadiums and other venues.”
The photographs and subsequent responses became the topic of immense national debate in the sports world this week.
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