F4 engine flame-out at Point Mugu Airshow

unfortunately I had front row seats to the F4 Phantom crash.it broke my heart and I had nightmares for weeks.the newspaper photographer took my picture just seconds after the crash and it ended up on the front page.total tragedy I will never forget it.it's still pains me today they were so young

I was there with my brother, son and my self, we felt the heat of the explosion. I went to 3 military airshows, the one just before had a dogfight between a mig 15 vs. an f86, both flew in matching 360 degrees vertical rolls, when one, to low to recover, crashed flaming down the runway. I've sworn off, love the flying but the danger is very real.

That ejection seat failed to work correctly. It failed to fire a complete rocket fire sequence. The seat failed to disconnect and the parachute failed to deploy at all. Human error alright, but not the pilot's. Not sure why the craft lost power as I am not a jet engine engineer. Our fighter pilots will lose all confidence if ejection seats fail to function. That's like telling your kid, "Go ahead son, jump, I'll catch you." Then failing to do so. The military would never admit to an ejection seat failure, for obvious reasons. Strap on a jet and your life is a crap shoot. The ejection seat and its cargo is the most valuable part of that piece of flying sheet metal. It must not fail, ever, again.

I live near point mugu, and was on a farm road behind the base when this happened...it wasnt a flame out, but a stall, and by the time pilot tried to save his plane it was too late, these planes were on there final pass when this happened..sad part was I saw that pilot eject into the line of fire rather than away from it...So close you could feel the heat from the explosion, and it missed a farm house by 100 yards if that...

An engine flameout should not have lead to a fatal crash. The crew members had ample time to eject. What happened?