{"id":76914,"date":"2024-11-20T21:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-11-20T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/uncategorized\/2024\/11\/20\/could-a-fighter-jet-software-upgrade-have-saved-this-pilots-life\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T20:08:55","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T20:08:55","slug":"could-a-fighter-jet-software-upgrade-have-saved-this-pilots-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/news\/your-marine-corps\/2024\/11\/20\/could-a-fighter-jet-software-upgrade-have-saved-this-pilots-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Could a fighter jet software upgrade have saved this pilot\u2019s life?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lt. Richard \u201cMax\u201d Bullock took the last flight of his life on June 3, 2022, when his F\/A-18E Super Hornet launched from Naval Air Station Lemoore and commenced training near California\u2019s Death Valley National Park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That afternoon, the 29-year-old executed air-to-ground strafe and slow-speed basic maneuvers when he is believed to have suffered a bout of gravity-induced loss of consciousness, or GLOC, a condition where a pilot goes unconscious due to a lack of blood flow to the brain, according to an internal investigation obtained by Navy Times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bullock was \u201cincapacitated\u201d when his jet quickly descended from 7,300 feet and crashed near Trona at 2:07 p.m. local time. His ejection seat was properly installed and the investigation found that Bullock did not attempt to initiate an ejection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cDue to the relatively low altitude that this maneuver was executed, the pilot did not have enough time to regain consciousness before impacting the ground,\u201d the investigation states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, two-and-a-half years after the young aviator\u2019s death, questions have emerged about why a system that keeps a jet airborne if a pilot loses consciousness was never installed in Navy Super Hornets, and if such a system might have prevented Bullock\u2019s death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The system is known as Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System, or Auto-GCAS, and it\u2019s designed to temporarily take control of a jet for short periods of time if the pilot blacks out or gets distracted, military aviators who reviewed the Bullock investigation told Navy Times.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2020\/05\/22\/inside-a-fatal-super-hornet-crash-in-star-wars-canyon\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/rainbowcanyonjet.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Inside a fatal Super Hornet crash in Star Wars canyon<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The crash last summer killed Lt. Charles Walker and injured seven French tourists.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But for reasons the Navy has declined to explain, Auto-GCAS has not been installed in the sea service\u2019s Super Hornet fleet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Air Force installed Auto-GCAS on its F-16 and F-22 fighter jets, and credits the system with saving the lives of 16 aviators since 2014.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Marine Corps\u2019 legacy Hornets are also slated to receive Auto-GCAS next year, according to Naval Air Forces, and the software is already installed on all F-35 jets, according to that platform\u2019s Joint Program Office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite repeated queries by Navy Times, the Navy has refused to explain why Auto-GCAS is not in Super Hornets, or whether the service believes a lack of Auto-GCAS played a role in Bullock\u2019s death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Auto-GCAS \u201cremains an area that the team continually assesses during safety review boards and provides annual updates to the fleet, as safety is our number one priority,\u201d Naval Air Forces spokesperson Cmdr. Beth Teach said in an email to Navy Times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Naval Safety Command, which conducts its own investigations into such mishaps, declined to say whether its investigation found a lack of Auto-GCAS to have been a factor in Bullock\u2019s death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"7360\" height=\"4912\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/3025800.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-113480\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/3025800.jpg.jpg 7360w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/3025800.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/3025800.jpg.jpg?resize=768,513 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/3025800.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/3025800.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1025 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/3025800.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1367 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 7360px) 100vw, 7360px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An aerospace engineer demonstrates the Auto-GCAS in an F-16 flight simulator at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in 2016. Auto-GCAS is designed to automatically pull a jet away from the ground if a pilot is disoriented or unable to do so. (Master Sgt. Brian Ferguson\/U.S. Air Force)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the Navy remains mum to such questions, some aviators with direct Auto-GCAS experience believe the system would have prevented Bullock\u2019s fatal crash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lt. Col. Billie Flynn is a retired pilot with the Royal Canadian Air Force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Flynn also served as a test pilot with Lockheed Martin who flew with the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force, and has tested out three different Auto-GCAS systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After reviewing the Bullock crash investigation, Flynn unequivocally stated that Bullock would still be alive if Auto-GCAS was installed in his aircraft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAuto-GCAS would have saved Lt. Bullock, period,\u201d Flynn told Navy Times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He isn\u2019t the only member of the aviator community to reach that conclusion. An active duty Air Force aviator familiar with Auto-GCAS who reviewed the investigation and was granted anonymity also told Navy Times that he believes the technology would have saved Bullock\u2019s life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhat\u2019s the price of a very talented young naval aviator?\u201d Flynn said. \u201cI would submit there is no price for that. You can\u2019t replace Lt. Bullock, and how do you explain to his parents, his family, that you could have implemented this at some point and chose not to, because it wasn\u2019t a value to Navy leadership. I don\u2019t think you can answer that question.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u2018Instantaneous G\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To decrease the likelihood of suffering GLOC, pilots undergo specific centrifuge training to better equip their bodies to tolerate strong G-forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But pilots still carry risks with them in the cockpit, and Auto-GCAS helps mitigate that risk, according to Flynn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIn a Super Hornet, the instantaneous G is so sudden that if you are not perfectly prepared, then your body might not be ready for the G that you\u2019re about to experience, and that historically, has contributed to pilots blacking themselves out,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pilots typically regain \u201cuseful consciousness\u201d between 45-60 seconds after blacking out, according to Flynn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Flynn said he thinks the Navy and NAVAIR understand the benefits of Auto-GCAS, but have opted to not spend the money and time installing the system in the Super Hornet fleet because \u201cit\u2019s never been important enough for Navy leaders.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2020\/05\/07\/inside-the-harrowing-final-minutes-before-a-c-2a-greyhounds-fatal-2017-crash-into-the-sea\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"207\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/greyhound-landing.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Inside the harrowing final minutes before a C-2A Greyhound\u2019s fatal 2017 crash into the sea<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">A pilot and two junior sailors died, but the crew&#039;s calm under pressure saved eight others.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cNavy leadership, including the leadership at NAVAIR, have all been briefed and are keenly aware of the capabilities that Auto-GCAS brings and the potential to save aircraft and lives,\u201d Flynn said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Flynn added that GLOC isn\u2019t as common now as it once was in aviators due to advancements in training and ensuring G-suits fit properly, and therefore, leadership isn\u2019t as inclined to believe installing the technology is worth the effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Teach, of Naval Air Forces, told Navy Times that no other naval aviators have suffered injury or death due to GLOC-related incidents in the past five years, according to the service\u2019s Risk Management Information mishap reporting system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u2018Max was genuine\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 113 at the time, Bullock was remembered as a young man who \u201cpacked more into 29 years than most could ever imagine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhen asked how he would want to be celebrated, Lt. TJ Hall, Max\u2019s wingman, said, \u2018Fast, loud and awesome!\u2019\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/obituaries.adn.com\/adportal\/listingView.html?id=4685\" target=\"_blank\">Bullock\u2019s obituary states<\/a>. \u201cWhile he\u2019ll be celebrated this way, he\u2019ll be remembered as generous beyond belief, a genuine friend, passionate and relentlessly positive, and fearless.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bullock\u2019s parents, Bill and Robin Bullock, said their son described himself as a \u201cpossibilitarian\u201d who believed anything was possible, and loved his country and fellow service members deeply. They said the family honors his memory by thinking about what he would do when making choices in life now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhenever we would question whether or not we should do something or to go forward with it, one of the kids, or one of the parents says, \u2018You know, what would Max do?\u2019 And the automatic answer is, he would go for it. He would try it, he would be the first one to be in line to do something, and reach out to help others,\u201d Robin Bullock told Navy Times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1366\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/33503509668_a22733b5ba_k.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17444\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/33503509668_a22733b5ba_k.jpg.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/33503509668_a22733b5ba_k.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/33503509668_a22733b5ba_k.jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/33503509668_a22733b5ba_k.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/33503509668_a22733b5ba_k.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1025 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lt. Richard \u201cMax\u201d Bullock was flying his F\/A-18E Super Hornet, like the ones shown here in March 2019, when it crashed in 2022, resulting in his death. (Chief Mass Communication Specialist Shannon Renfroe\/U.S. Navy)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bullock conducted a \u201cthorough brief\u201d prior to take off on the day of his death, outlining the training rules for basic fighter maneuvers, air-to-ground strafe and low-level training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The investigation also found that Bullock was prepared for the mission, and that human factors did not play a role in the mishap.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2022\/07\/26\/pilot-error-likely-caused-navys-2021-th-57-helicopter-crash\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"218\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/TH-57-sea-ranger.webp_.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Pilot error likely caused Navy\u2019s TH-57 helicopter crash in summer 2021<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Investigators were hampered by the lack of a flight data recorder aboard the training helo, an issue they said will be corrected by newer training aircraft.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It determined the aircraft safe for flight and that no malfunctions occurred, and that environmental factors such as weather did not contribute to the mishap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The case did not warrant any disciplinary action within the squadron, and the investigation determined the squadron\u2019s command climate didn\u2019t factor into the mishap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Specifically, the report said that no one interviewed for the investigation voiced knowledge of procedure violations, rule-breaking or flat-hatting by any members of the squadron \u2014 Bullock included.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Flat-hatting is the practice of conducting maneuvers at low altitude or high speed \u201cfor thrill purposes,\u201d according to the Federal Aviation Administration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI have directed that the findings of this investigation will be widely shared with all units under my cognizance to underscore the unforgiving and inherently dangerous nature of naval aviation, which requires the finest sense of judgment and control,\u201d a command endorsement of the investigation states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bullock\u2019s obituary recalls him as someone who would \u201cstart every day with the intent on figuring out how to make the world a better place.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMax was genuine. He would strike up a conversation and build a friendship with everyone crossing his path; he would listen with interest and appreciation to any story,\u201d Bullock\u2019s obituary said. \u201cHe gave the gift of long-term friendship openly and without reservation.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Navy has declined to answer questions about a fatal Super Hornet crash, and whether a safety system could have saved the pilot&#8217;s life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":113478,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"single-post-featured-layout","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":69,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[101,12,25,69],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3303],"class_list":["post-76914","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-news","category-newsletters","category-your-marine-corps"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"JGRRLIFSGZEHDCID6GZQOA3TDY","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/your-navy\/2024\/11\/20\/could-a-fighter-jet-software-upgrade-have-saved-this-pilots-life\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"featured-layout","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Could a fighter jet software upgrade have saved this pilot\u2019s life? - Marine Corps Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Navy has declined to answer questions about a fatal Super Hornet crash, and whether a safety system could have saved the pilot&#039;s life.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Could a fighter jet software upgrade have saved this pilot\u2019s life?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Navy has declined to answer questions about a fatal Super Hornet crash, and whether a safety system could have saved the pilot&#039;s life.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/news\/your-marine-corps\/2024\/11\/20\/could-a-fighter-jet-software-upgrade-have-saved-this-pilots-life\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Marine Corps Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-11-20T21:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T20:08:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Diana Stancy\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Diana Stancy\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t    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