64-Year-Old Man Accidentally Ejects Himself from Fighter Jet at 2,500 Feet
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A terrified 64-year-old passenger was accidentally ejected from a fighter jet during a training exercise in France. Photo by CNN Travel.
A 64-year-old man on a surprise company outing to a French airbase was under so much stress when going for a joy ride in a fighter jet that he accidentally grabbed the ejector button and launched himself into the air 2,500 feet above the ground, CNN Travel reports. Apparently, the man’s co-workers didn’t know him as well as they thought.
An extensive aviation accident report provided by a French government agency revealed that the unidentified man began to feel extremely stressed when he entered the fighter jet as a passenger for a company excursion. According to investigators, the man was wearing a watch that could measure his heart rate and it was documented that “his heart was in full tachycardia” before the flight, with a recorded heart rate ranging from 136 to 142 beats per minute, CNN Travel reports.
When the jet was 2,500 feet above the ground the pilot began to climb even higher causing the passenger to panic. He reached for something to hold onto and unfortunately grabbed the ejector seat button. Next thing you know the 64-year-old was flying from the fighter jet into the open sky. Luckily, his parachute was deployed and the man landed safely in a field near the German border, avoiding serious injury.
Investigators concluded that his sudden ejection was the result of an involuntary reflex, prompted by stress and the jet’s sudden movement, CNN Travel reports. Luckily, the pilot was not ejected and managed to land the plane safely, despite suffering some minor facial injuries during the ordeal. The passenger, meanwhile, was transported to a nearby hospital after his surprise ejection.
An image from the report, which shows the man’s surprise ejection.
There is no “ejector seat button.” A handle, perhaps, but definitely not a button.