I ejected on 30.01.1987 with Mk4 seat, from Iraqi Mirage F1 EQ2 during the Iran-Iraq war 1980-1988. I ejected at 150 m of height and 550 km/h of speed on the way back after destroying the target. I had been hitting at the right feeder-tank by the enemy ground-air defence at very low altitude.

When I was touching at 25m and 900 km/h I decided to climb. I reached 2500m and my engine was flameout. I decided to stay as long as possible to crossing borders or to be behind our front army units. For that, I decided to be in a glider position, to lose neither speed nor height.

I was staying up height 150m and up speed 550 km/h over low hills when I decided to eject because there was not enough time to stay up.

When I pulled up the ejection down handle, at first, I saw my exit from the cabin and outside the cabin, I have blackout. I regained my consciousness when the stabilizer parachute opened.

The sequence, the main parachute and the seat separation follow the system correctly. When the main parachute is opening, I saw the ground was very near from me, I was afraid to lower my arm to open the package and breaking it.

When I touch the ground, I wanted to do the spring movement to land to the right side but the package pulled me back to the ground, when my back touch the ground my head followed it and hit the ground between my feet and I lost consciousness. When my consciousness returned I found myself lying on my back. Then I broke off the parachute central loop and run to the borders.

Following the ejection, I felt after one hour a pain at my pelvis right side sciatica and my back, I have compression of the lumbar discs between vertebrae 3-4 and 4-5 and the cervical discs between vertebrae 4-5, 5-6 and 6-7.

I say every time thank you Martin-Baker for saving my life.

Lieutenant Colonel Abdul Karim Hussein Abdul-Razak
Iraqi Fighter Pilot