Since no one died, at least one of the MSM scumbags will trot out some talking head who will claim that there had been no reason to ditch the plane, and that the pilot should be prosecuted. Thanks Drew68.
I remember reading an article in “Approach” the safety magazine for Naval Aviation (Navy & USMC) telling of a low level high speed instrument training mission in an A-4.
500 feet AGL (above ground level), 250 knots, the student (STUD) in the back seat under “the hood” (a light fabric pull-over dome blocking outside vision) flying by instruments alone.
Instructor pilot (IP) in the front seat, watching for other aircraft, radio towers, etc.
The aircraft hit a large bird (believed to have been a buzzard) which shattered the windscreen, the remains landing in the IP’s lap.
STUD in the back seat hears a BANG!, feels 250 knots of wind buffeting the cockpit, and sees blood & guts (the buzzard’s) streaming around the back of the front seat.
STUD thinks - Explosion! IP is dead! I’m at 500’ AGL, 250 kts AND under the Hood. Time to leave!
STUD ejects!
IP in front seat, windscreen gone, dead buzzard in his lap, feathers in his mouth, 250kts of wind buffeting him, hears & feels STUD eject.
IP thinks, “500’ AGL, 250Kts, can’t see instruments! STUD must know something I don’t know and the IP ejects.
When asked why he ejected from a flyable aircraft, the STUD explains to the Accident Board, which muses a bit and says, “Well, it was flyable, but given the circumstances, your decision was valid.”
IP sanding tall in front of the Board gets same question. Explains his reasoning. Again, the Board muses a bit and says, “Well, it was flyable, but given the circumstances, your decision was valid.”
BTW, I’ve hit both a swallow (on the windscreen in a Jet Ranger) and a seagull (at night, in the dead-center of the nose avionics hatch in a CH-53, at night) At 110 or 150 mph a bird strike makes a LOT of noise! Both really got my attention!