A backseat passenger in an F-15D Eagle belonging to the 104th Fighter Wing appears to have accidentally ejected from the aircraft while it was on the ground at Barnes Air National Guard Base in Westfield, Massachusetts.
An undated video posted on social media shows the aftermath of the incident. A puff of smoke is seen wafting from the backseat as the F-15 is still taxiing. The canopy, having been blown off during the ejection sequence, is lying on the Eagle’s left wing. The passenger appears to be crawling next to the runway near what looks like a parachute as the F-15 continues to roll by.
A near zero-zero (no speed or altitude) ejection has its own added dangers, but it’s not the first time someone on a ride-along has inadvertently punched out of a tactical jet, although it is certainly a very rare occasion.
“Incentive flight ejected on the flight line before even taking off, member was apparently a recruiting officer from the 104FW at Barnes ANGB,” the Air Force amn/nco/snco Facebook page stated under their post of the video. We cannot confirm who the rear seat occupant was at this time.
We reached out to the 104th Fighter Wing for details and will update this story with any pertinent information provided.
This is a developing story.
Update: 6:27 AM Eastern Aug. 14-
The conversation between the F-15D pilot and air traffic control after the ejection emerged on social media.
Update: 10:25 AM Eastern Aug. 14 –
The 104th Fighter Wing provided us with a statement about the ejection mishap:
“A ground mishap involving an F-15D Eagle aircraft and two members of the 104th Fighter Wing occurred at approximately 2:05 p.m. on the flightline of Barnes Air National Guard Base on August 12, 2025.
Safety is the highest priority at the 104th Fighter Wing and as a precaution, one service member was transported to a local hospital for evaluation and wing leadership initiated a safety standdown of all flight operations. The other service member was released from the scene with no injuries. Neither service member sustained any injuries as a result of the incident.
The incident remains under investigation and more information, including information compiled by the applicable investigation boards, will be released as it becomes available. In accordance with Air Force policy, the identity of the service members involved will be withheld until the completion of an official investigation.
After a 36-hour standdown, flight operations have resumed.”
Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com