2025, Volume 31, Issue 2
SUCCESSFUL EJECTIONS IN THE POLISH AIR FORCE IN 1951-2025
MARIAN MACANDER1
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1Air Accident Investigation Laboratory, Department of Psychophysiological Measurements and Human Factor Research, Military Institute of Aviation Medicine
Autor korenspondencyjny: MARIAN MACANDER; Air Accident Investigation Laboratory, Department of Psychophysiological Measurements and Human Factor Research, Military Institute of Aviation Medicine; email: mmacander@wiml.waw.pl
Streszczenie
Introduction: Between 1951 and 2025, there were 281 ejection incidents involving 255 aircraft in the Polish Air Force. In 60 cases, they involved two-seat aircraft. Six pilots ejected twice, and eight, despite having previously survived, later perished in aircraft accidents during continued service. The aim of this study was a comprehensive analysis of ejections in Polish military aviation, with particular emphasis on cases ending in survival and on the injuries sustained by pilots.
Methods: The analysis was conducted on the basis of materials from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Commission and Aviation Medical Records. Each case was assessed in terms of the circumstances forcing the pilot to abandon the aircraft, the course of the ejection, and the type of injuries sustained. Unsuccessful ejections were presented in statistical form only.
Results: 177 ejections were performed from subsonic aircraft and 104 from supersonic aircraft. 210 cases ended successfully. The mean age of the pilots who survived was 30 years, while 71 pilots perished during the ejection; their mean age was 29.3 years. Of the survivors, 44 pilots (21%) sustained no injuries, 40 (19%) sustained minor injuries, and 126 (60%) sustained severe injuries, mainly spinal fractures and injuries to the limbs, chest, and head. Most ejections occurred at altitudes above 500 m and at speeds exceeding 400 km/h.
Conclusions: The largest number of ejections involved the MiG-15, MiG-21, and MiG-17 aircraft, while the most injury-prone seats proved to be the KK-1, KK-2, KM-1, and KM-1M. The frequency of ejections was highest in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s — a period associated with the size and diversity of the fleet, the introduction of new aircraft types, and the level of pilot training.
Słowa kluczowe
safety, aviation, high-speed jet aircraft, ejection, injuries