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The ejection system on the B-1B could be operated solely by the pilot or by each individual crew member When the pilot pulled the ejection handle on the side of the seat, the canopy would blow off, then each seat’s rockets would fire in a prearranged sequence so that they didn’t hit each other when they were shot through the roof

Petkunas steeled himself for the extreme force of the ejection and yelled, “Eject! Eject! Eject!” Then he pulled the handle

Nothing happened

He tried again with the same result

“My seat isn’t working,” he told the others “You’ll have to eject yourselvesEject! Eject! Eject!”

They did as ordered Still nothing Even the canopy stayed in place

Larsson stared at hiremlins in here?”

Petkunas couldn’t explain it until he realized that each seat had a computer-controlled sequencer that precisely determined in what order they should be ejected milliseconds after the handle was pulled He didn’t kno, but so with every piece of electronics on the plane

Another snap decision

“We’re landing,” Petkunas said, putting his hand back on the stick “Let’s hope nobody decides to wander out onto the runway”

He didn’t bother calling the tower If the electrical problem was so complete that the seats wouldn’t eject, then the radio would be disabled as well

“Co around,” Petkunas said as he wrestled to bank the boht him every inch of the way, but he was able to put the B-1B into a turn He kept at it with all his strength until the runas straight ahead of them He leveled off and dropped the nose

“Altitude is low,” Larsson said

“Can’t help that,” Petkunas replied “We need the speed or we’ll stall before we get to the island Try lowering the flaps ten degrees”

Larsson ood”