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F-16 Navigator Describes Missile Strike near Plane

(Ynet News) Yoav Zitun - The navigator of the F-16 that crashed in northern Israel on Saturday described to Yediot Ahronot on Sunday what happened the moment the F-16 fighter jet was hit by a Syrian antiaircraft missile. "We led the attack, and then there was an explosion and we realized we had been hit. It's a very uncomfortable feeling, a feeling of loss of control." "The evacuation is immediate. It's not a long process, and there's no time either. It's just a few seconds. You realize that you have to hurry and evacuate, both because of the hit, the physical hit, and because of the damage to the plane, which stopped functioning." "We had a lot of luck too, because such a strong blast near the plane could have killed us. Nevertheless, the missile exploded at a certain distance from the plane and the shrapnel caused enough damage. But there was no yelling in the cockpit, and the decision to evacuate was made within seconds." Despite being wounded, "the pilot was conscious. We coordinated the ejection between us, from the preparation, examining the seating position and pressing our arms together so we wouldn't get hurt. We repeated the orders in the intercom and then activated the ejector seat."
2018-02-12 00:00:00
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