A video surfaced online shows the immediate aftermath of the ejection, which followed the landing from incentive flight.
An unusual incident at Barnes Air National Guard Base in Westfield, Massachusetts, saw the backseat passenger of an F-15D Eagle ejecting from the aircraft while on the ground. The aircraft, assigned to the Massachusetts Air National Guard’s 104th Fighter Wing, was reportedly involved in an incentive flight earlier this week, with the ejection happening after the landing.
The incident
A video surfaced online shows the immediate aftermath of the ejection, with the smoke caused by the ejection still visible. The passenger can be seen crawling on the ground near the runway, just beside the parachute, while the canopy – jettisoned during the ejection – is lying on the Eagle’s left wing as the aircraft moves to vacate the runway.
An audio recording of the radio communications with air traffic control (ATC) also emerged online. The pilot of the F-15, which flew with the callsign “RAMBO 01,” reported the ejection of the backseater and then declared a ground emergency, with the ATC shutting down the runway and directing the aircraft to vacate the runway and stop while coordinating with the emergency services.
Video and ATC from yesterday. The backseater of RAMBO 01 (F-15D 104th FW Massachusetts ANG) accidentally ejected while taxiing back after a alleged incentive flight at Westfield-Barnes Airport, MA
The backseater survived and the runway was shut down. You can see the cockpit… pic.twitter.com/9ZIAV9ENPl
— Thenewarea51 (@thenewarea51) August 14, 2025
The Air Force amn/nco/snco Facebook page posted the video stating “Incentive flight ejected on the flight line before even taking off, member was apparently a recruiting officer from the 104FW at Barnes ANGB.” We cannot verify the identity of the passenger at this time, although the caption has already been confirmed as partly incorrect as radio communications appear to confirm it happened after landing.
Incentive flights are often offered by the U.S. Air Force units to individuals, sometimes even civilians, who show exceptional performance in their duties. The flights are a reward to acknowledge the hard work and dedication, but they also serve to inspire future Airmen about aviation and military service.
The 104th FW has not released a statement about the incident and the circumstances in which it happened. The status of the passenger is unclear, although it appears he survived the ejection.
Accidental ejections
Accidental ejections are rare, but they do occur. A well-documented instance is the accidental ejection of the passenger of a French Rafale during an incentive flight in 2019. The in-flight incident was attributed to both human and technical failures, as you can read in our previous report here.
Such unusual incidents, however, can also happen during normal flights with experienced crew. For instance, we recently reported about the fatal ground ejection of a U.S. Air Force T-6A Texan II’s instructor in 2024, caused by the previously disconnected harness chest strap catching on and inadvertently actuating the seat’s handle while the aircraft was still taxiing after landing.
While there are some similarities, it’s not possible to understand what happened in the F-15D’s case. However, an investigation will be launched and we will know more at a later date.
A second incident
The Air Force amn/nco/snco Facebook page also posted another video from Barnes ANGB, supposedly showing the tire of an Eagle’s main landing gear right leg blowing after landing. The video was posted shortly after the video of the ejection, but it is unclear if both incidents happened on the same day.
