And risk serious injury/loss of a well-trained pilot?
Seems we had a lively thread with Pukin’ Dog years ago about pilots punching out vs. staying with the plane. It got animated.
He injured his vertebra seriously enough to wind up in the hospital. It’s possible he may not fly in the military again.
No saying he should have ridden it in. I think he made the best decision in the situation facing him. Just that some decisions can hold degrees of lose/lose. :-[
That's why I wrote he couldn't know it at the time. After-the-fact, the plane neither broke up, nor burned. Never-the-less, I agree with his decision. He was better punching out than staying with the plane and risking being burned up, or torn apart as the plane broke up.
Unfortunately, spinal injuries mean his flight career is probably over.