Out of thin air - Airman's World

Airman, June, 2003 by Carie A. Seydel

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- In 1944, when a major died after bailing out of a B-17 Flying Fortress aircraft at 43,000 feet, no one knew exactly what happened.

Doctors eventually determined he died on impact when his parachute failed to open.

But that didn't add up for one personal equipment officer. After all, another high-altitude bailout the year before resulted in just injury for a first lieutenant.

Retired Brig. Gen. Ron Huey was that young first lieutenant. Stationed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base as a personal equipment officer, he decided to test the life support mask the major wore during the fatal flight. He discovered the mask -- which Huey was responsible for -- was faulty and immediately brought it to the attention of those in charge. Since the cause of death had already been determined, his suggestion wasn't warmly received.

"The chief of the aeromedical lab called me up and asked me if I was a doctor," Huey said. "I told him I wasn't, and he said, 'I'm gonna court-martial you if you're not right about this.'"

Still, Huey stuck to his belief that when the major ejected he died from lack of oxygen before he could open his parachute.

He convinced Army Air Forces officials the open valve in the mask allowed oxygen to rush out at high altitudes. The equipment was recalled and updated with a check valve that trapped 10 minutes worth of oxygen in the mask.

Although the Army Air Forces never apologized to Huey, he said that saving just one life made it worthwhile. And apparently making a difference made the difference. He served 36 years, retiring in 1978 as the assistant chief of the Ohio National Guard.