64-Year-Old Man Accidentally Ejects Himself From Fighter Jet at 2500 Feet

• His employees arranged the joyride for him as a surprise treat.
• His heart raced from 136 to 142 beats per minute before the flight.
• He panicked and pressed the ejector seat button, which sent him flying into the air.

The fighter jet ride was supposed to be a surprise treat for this 64-year-old man arranged by employees from his firm. He was surprised all right, plus he got so stressed that he accidentally ejected himself out of the plane.

The man, who wasn’t named in the reports, was taken to the Saint-Dizier air base in northeastern France as part of a surprise company outing for a joyride in a Dassault Rafale B jet. Once he got to the base and realized what was about to happen, he became so stressed that his heartbeat raced into “full tachycardia.”

According to investigators, the man’s recorded heart rate ranged from 136 to 142 beats per minute, as recorded by the watch he was wearing.

He had no previous military experience and had never expressed desire to ride in a fighter jet.

The man still went along for the ride despite his stress. He was seated as a passenger on a three-plan training exercise aboard the Rafale B, which has a maximum speed of almost 1,400 kilometers per hour.

He was in one of these Rafale jets used by the French air force.

The aircraft was at 2,500 feet above ground when the man really started to panic. As the plane began to climb, the man frantically searched for something to hold on to, which turned out to be the ejector seat button.

He shot out of the fighter jet and his helmet went flying mid-air. He was not able to attach it securely while inside the plane.

He tumbled in a field near the German border. Thankfully, he avoided serious injuries and was taken to the nearest hospital.

The error was caused by involuntary reflex, according to investigators. It was prompted by the jet’s sudden movement and the man’s stress.

The pilot, who was not ejected, was able to land the plane safely. He suffered minor facial injuries because of the incident.