Aircrew ejections in the Republic of Bulgaria, 1953-93.

We reviewed the ejections of 60 pilots who ejected from 54 aircraft of Soviet production in the Republic of Bulgaria from 1953-93. The following factors were correlated with the degree of injury during ejection: the fliers' height, weight, and age; type of aircraft and ejection seat; altitude and speed of the aircraft at ejection; and the reason for ejection. The act of ejection can be a life-saving procedure when the aircraft gets into a non-recoverable situation, especially when carried out at an altitude above of 300 m, or at ground level. Survival rate of pilots in those cases is 95-100% respectively, compared to the general survival rate, which is 83%. Of the 60 ejectees, 10 (16.7%) were killed, 14 (23.3%) suffered major injuries, 17 (28.3%) suffered minor injuries, and 19 (31.7%) were uninjured.