Kill switches activated on TIE fighters
A security measure implemented by the Galactic Empire on some of their TIE fighters was a kill switch, designed to prevent theft. Upon activation, this feature would trigger the separation of the fighter's wings, leading to a cockpit crash if the aircraft was operating within an atmosphere.
During an undercover mission in 2 BBY to rescue defecting cadets from the distinguished Skystrike Academy, Sabine Wren's initial attempt to flee was foiled by kill switches. These switches had been secretly installed by Governor Arihnda Pryce on all TIE fighters utilized in a simulated space battle. Later, one year afterward, on Lothal, Sabine and her fellow rebel Ezra Bridger stole a TIE/D Defender Elite prototype that had a kill switch. Sabine detected the switch while disabling the fighter's homing beacon, and she promptly instructed Ezra to land the craft. Consequently, when the kill switch was triggered, the resulting crash was less severe, enabling Ezra and Sabine to escape with the flight data recorder and the hyperdrive.