▁height ▁of ▁ ▁the ▁dro gue ▁par ach utes ▁deployed ▁( one ▁was ▁ ▁across ▁and ▁the ▁other ▁) ▁which ▁were ▁designed ▁to ▁allow ▁the ▁seat ▁to ▁stabil ize ▁itself ▁in ▁mid - air . ▁As ▁the ▁seat ▁fell ▁back ▁to ▁earth ▁the ▁main ▁par ach ute ▁failed ▁to ▁deploy ▁to ▁slow ▁the ▁descent ▁to ▁a ▁safe ▁speed , ▁and ▁he ▁fell ▁to ▁his ▁death ▁in ▁the ▁mal function ing ▁e jection ▁seat . ▁C unning ham ▁was ▁air l ift ed ▁to ▁Lincoln ▁County ▁Hospital ▁by ▁air ▁amb ul ance , ▁but ▁was ▁declared ▁dead ▁there ▁at ▁ 1 2 : 1 4   pm . ▁C unning ham ▁died ▁after ▁what ▁the ▁coron er ▁called ▁" non - sur viv able ▁inj uries " ▁to ▁his ▁brain ▁and ▁card i ov asc ular ▁system . ▁ ▁This ▁model ▁of ▁e jection ▁seat ▁is ▁a ▁zero - zero ▁seat ; ▁this ▁is ▁because ▁it ▁is ▁designed ▁to ▁be ▁activ ated ▁whenever ▁there ▁is ▁an ▁emer gency , ▁whether ▁at ▁speed ▁or ▁at ▁zero ▁speed ▁and ▁zero ▁alt itude . ▁ ▁The ▁incident ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁ground ing ▁of ▁many ▁aircraft ▁that ▁the ▁Royal ▁Air ▁Force ▁were ▁operating ▁at ▁that ▁time , ▁especially ▁all ▁variants ▁of ▁the ▁Haw k ▁aircraft . ▁The ▁Martin - B aker ▁e jection ▁seat ▁used ▁( M k . 1 0 B 1 ) ▁was ▁also ▁fitted ▁to ▁other ▁aircraft ▁besides ▁the ▁Haw k , ▁though ▁many ▁were ▁cleared ▁as ▁being ▁fit ▁to ▁fly ▁in ▁the ▁days ▁after