Image credit – Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety
Flying in a fighter jet might be the dream thrill adventure of a lifetime for some, but for others, it can be a harrowing experience. Take for example a 64-year old man who, for a company outing, was surprised by his colleagues when they took him to the Saint-Dizier air base in France for a ride in the Dassault Rafale B fighter jet.
For whatever reason, his colleagues thought that this was something that the man had wished to do, despite him not having expressed his desire to take a joyride in a fighter jet. However, perhaps deciding to go along with it since he was already there, the man hopped into the plane. Unfortunately, it seems that his nerves got the better of him because at around 2,500 feet, he started to panic and looked for something to grab hold off, which turned out to be the ejector seat button.
This resulted in the man being ejected from the plane while it was 2,500 feet in the air. To make matters worse, the man’s helmet was not securely fastened as it flew off while he was ejected. Thankfully though, no one was injured. The man safely landed in a field near the German border, while the pilot sustained minor facial injuries and managed to land the plane.
Authorities later concluded that the error was due to an involuntary reflex on the 64-year old’s part. While this could have ended tragically, thankfully it did not and the man can at least walk away with a scary, but hilarious story that he can tell for years on end.
Filed in . Read more about Airplanes and Social Hit. Source: edition.cnn