| Home |
| Free Fallers | Wreckage Riders | Unlucky Skydivers | Other Amazing Stories |
| The Unplanned Freefall | Falling Math | Fictional Falls | Record Falls |
| Incident Log | Questions | Recommended Reading | About This Research |


Navy Pilot Ejects at Flight-Deck level

The following photo sequence is from an incident that occurred on the aircraft carrier Franklin Delano Roosevelt in October of 1961 south of the Dominican Republic. The aircraft was a Navy F8U-1 Crusader from VF-11, the ‘Red Rippers.’ The pilot was Ltjg. John T. “Terry” Kryway. The photos were taken by Louis J. Cera, a Navy photographer who used a K-20 semi-automatic aerial camera according to an account in the book “The Wild, Wonderful World of Parachutes and Parachuting" by Bud Sellick. Image 1: The sea was rough and as the aircraft approached, the deck dipped. The ensuing rough landing broke off the starboard (right) wheel, sending it up into the wheel well and rupturing the main fuel line. (You can see the resulting cloud of fuel in this picture.) Image 2: The fuel ignites as the aircraft races down the flight deck. Image 3: Although the tailhook had caught, the arresting cable broke... Image 4: ...and the aircraft races unchecked. Image 5: The aircraft hurtles off the flight deck. Image 6: The canopy begins to open as Kryway ejects. Image 7: Kryway soars into the air, somersaulting above the aircraft. Image 8: The aircraft crashes into the water as Kryway begins to fall. Image 9: Kryway can be seen just below deck level as his pilot chute pulls his parachute open. Kryway's parachute opened in time to slow his descent. He was rescued shortly thereafter by a helicopter crew. He had only minor injuries and survived to fly again. Thanks to Gary Schreffler for providing the scans and additional information. Return to the Incident Log.