A Marine Pilot Ejected From an F-8 Crusader at 47,000 Feet Directly Into a Thunderstorm. He Fell Through It for 40 Minutes and Survived

A Marine Pilot Ejected From an F-8 Crusader at 47,000 Feet Directly Into a Thunderstorm. He Fell Through It for 40 Minutes and Survived

A U.S. Marine Corps pilot ejected from his F-8 Crusader fighter at 47,000 feet during a Cold War flight from Massachusetts to South Carolina. He was ejected directly into a cumulonimbus thunderstorm over Norfolk, Virginia. The pilot was not wearing a pressure suit. The temperature at 47,000 feet was -50°C / -58°F. He suffered immediate decompression. Blood seeped from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. His abdomen swelled from gas expansion. The s…