I was a flight instructor at Naval Air Station Kingsville Texas in training squadron 21 and on the morning of November 19, 1968 I was assigned a new student Lieutenant JG Barber and we were on a familiarization flight and we had a complete hydraulic failure. We declared an emergency and returned to the field to land and initiated the back up hydraulic system and it failed and we both ejected at low altitude. He sustained a broken ankle and I had two fractured vertebrae.

I ended up ejecting at approximately 50 feet AGL and the Martin Baker ejection seat worked beautifully! I am presently celebrating the 50th anniversary of that day and I send my thanks to all of you at Martin Baker.

Haynes L Kendall Jr., Ejectee #6082

LTjg  USN (on November 19, 1968 at the time of the ejection)