A Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon was forced to jettison its canopy during a mid-air emergency over the North Sea.
The incident involved a jet from XI (Fighter) Squadron at RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire, which safely returned to base after the emergency.
The canopy, the transparent cover shielding the cockpit, was reportedly released by the pilot due to a suspected bird strike. While official confirmation of the cause is awaited, the pilot managed to land the aircraft safely, with no injuries reported.
A RAF Spokesperson confirmed:
“On 23 Jan, a Canopy from a XI (F) Sqn Typhoon aircraft from RAF Coningsby was jettisoned by the pilot following an in-flight emergency. The aircraft recovered safely to RAF Coningsby and the pilot is fine.”
The Typhoon FGR.Mk 4 is a highly advanced and agile multi-role combat aircraft, capable of performing a wide range of missions, including air policing, peace support, and high-intensity conflict. Initially deployed in an air-to-air role, the aircraft has evolved into a precision multi-role platform, equipped with cutting-edge features such as a hands-on throttle and stick (HOTAS) interface and the Helmet Equipment Assembly (HEA), making it highly effective across all air operations.
Despite its precision attack capabilities, its most critical role remains providing quick reaction alert (QRA) for UK and Falkland Islands airspace, while also reinforcing NATO air defence in regions such as the Baltic and Black Sea.
The Typhoon FGR4’s multi-role capability is supported by an array of sophisticated weapons, including the infrared-guided Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAAM), the radar-guided Meteor and AMRAAM, and the Captor radar and PIRATE electro-optical targeting system. Combined with its superior performance and manoeuvrability, these features make the Typhoon a formidable force in both air-to-air engagements and precision strike missions.
Can someone in-the-know advise ? Does the Typhoon really have separate canopy release controls ? I thought it was part of ejection seat firing. sounds to me like the ejection seat failed and the pilot muddled through to an emergency landing on one engine.
This sounds decidedly suspicious.
Yes. Separate yet combined system. You can jettison to canopy without setting the seat off.
What could have happened that would have made a separate canopy release the right move, if it is available?
Canopy can be jettison by internal & external handles. Internal one is tucked away so I would be surprised if it was done by accident.
Fire on the ground. Smoke in cockpit. rescue after crash.
But in terms of the article
An impacted canopy from a bird strike would be pretty hard to see through.
If by some fluke it got wedged it the canopy, again a bird is hard to see through.
According to the BAE safety manual, it looks as though the canopy can be released internally, without using the ejector seat.
Thee canopy has a separate release/jettison system. There are several scenarios where a jettisoning the canopy could be useful in an emergency.
In this scenario you could hypothesize that the canopy was cracked or partially ruptured following the bird strike, jettisoning the canopy prevents a further breakup of the remaining plexiglass thats still attached to the aircraft. If this were to happen it could damage the airframe, be ingested onto the engines or injure the pilot.
Yes. It can be jettisoned. No, the pilot will not have muddled through an emergency. And no, nothing is suspicious. Incidents happen. And pilots training how to handle them so they become second nature.
I’m pleased the pilot executed a safe landing.
Can’t have been fun but glad all systems worked as planned and a professional, if draughty, outcome was achieved!
Of course. It’s standard for an aircraft designed to operate in an environment where its canopy could be damaged, or the pilot needs to make a sharp exit in an emergency short of a full ejection.
Kudos to the Typhoon pilot for saving his aircraft, though a little unorthodox flying it as a cabriolet!
At least the Pilots safe ,that must of took some doing bringing that aircraft back .😲
Maybe the pilot just wanted to feel the wind in their hair?
Perhaps the helmet was cracked as well 😂
Damn, if that happened over the North Sea, I bet he or she was cold by the time they got home!
Interestingly numerous aircraft have been intentionally designed with their HUD being strong enough to offer some shielding for the pilot from the airflow in this sort of scenario. A little bonus modern all helmet based display aircraft lack.
I’m guessing but the helmet would have provided protection in this case
Having done Quality Work on the Canopy of the Typhoonfighterjet. A Bird Strike 🐦 you would
need to remove the Canopy.
As the Pilot landed safely. Enquiry will see
why the Bird 🐦 Strike happened.
As the Pilots Helmet is state of the Art
Especially to do with Combat.
I Signed off 5 Canopies for the Typhoon.