SAFE Europe 2025 - No Escape Route, How Limited Ejection Seat Access Is Impacting Aircrew Safety In Prototype Civil Aircraft

This paper, originally presented at the SAFE Europe 2025 conference in Utrecht in March 2025, addresses the critical issue of aircrew safety in prototype civil aircraft, specifically focusing on the challenges posed by limited access to ejection seats. The development of advanced civil aircraft, including novel designs like eVTOLs, is accelerating, driven by new technologies and evolving economic and political landscapes. However, a significant gap exists in providing robust emergency egress systems for test pilots of these innovative prototypes. This paper aims to highlight the multifaceted challenges associated with integrating ejection seats into prototype civil aircraft and proposes a roadmap for industry-wide shifts to overcome these obstacles and enhance aircrew safety during crucial flight testing phases.

Ensuring the safety of aircrew in prototype civil aircraft necessitates a fundamental rethinking of how ejection seats are integrated and managed. The challenges—ranging from limited market incentives and supply chain constraints to regulatory hurdles and knowledge gaps—are significant but not insurmountable. By fostering greater collaboration across the escape system community, establishing new, more accommodating regulatory frameworks and standards, streamlining certification processes, and exploring commercially available ejection seat solutions, the industry can collectively enhance pilot safety during this critical phase of aircraft development. The time is now for a proactive shift to ensure that as aviation advances, aircrew safety remains paramount.