- According to a report from a French government agency, a 64-year-old man in
France accidentally ejected himself from a flying fighter jet in March 2019. - The man had no interest in flying in the jet but was given the ride as a gift from employees at his company.
- Investigators found that the man was so stressed during the ride that he involuntarily pressed the ejection button and was flung into the air with a parachute.
- He managed to land safely on the ground and was taken to a nearby hospital for evaluation.
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A 64-year-old man in France accidentally ejected himself from a fighter jet flying at 2,500 feet aboveground after pressing a button in panic because he was stressed out by the ride.
According to a recently published report from a French government agency, translated by CNN, the man's company had organized the surprise ride in a Dassault Rafale B jet as a gift in March 2019.
Investigators with France's Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety, who published their report in early April, found that once the man was in the air, he became so stressed by the ride that he pressed the ejector button in panic and was thrown from the
According to the investigation, the man, whose name has been withheld in the report, had no experience with military aircraft and had no interest in flying in a Dassault Rafale B jet before his company surprised him with the ride.
He was wearing a smartwatch at the time of the flight, which allowed investigators to record him having a heart rate between 136 to 142 beats per minute just before taking flight. A normal heart rate for an adult is between 60 and 100 beats per minute.
The man then got in the jet, which took flight in a three-plane exercise. It was 2,500 feet above the ground when he pressed the eject button.
His helmet wasn't properly attached, according to the report, and went flying in midair. But he landed on the ground with no serious injuries and was taken to a nearby hospital to be evaluated.
The pilot landed the plane safely, too, and experienced minor facial injuries in the incident.
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