parachute positionning in a He111

[gilles collaveri]

Hi Guys,

thanks for your interesting comments and for the pictures.

In fact, I am facing a very mysterious case (it is not A1+LN):

a He111 near Toulouse crashed after the LH engine caught fire, and
only the pilot escaped with his parachute and was harmless, while the four other crews remained in the aircraft and were killed.

How could you explain that the pilot bails out, while the balance of the crew stays on board ?

They may have been trapped:
was there a door that could have been closed ? the bomb bay was blocked closed ?
the centrifugal force kept them stuck inside the fuselage ?
Whereas the pilot, with the escape hatch above him, could bail out more easily ?

Your views are welcome. Have a nice week-end.

GC