A PENSIONER who was given a surprise flight in a £70 million fighter jet as a retirement present was flung out at 2,500ft after grabbing the ejector seat handle to “steady himself”.
The astonishing drama is outlined in a newly released report by French aviation investigators who have stern words for their country’s airforce and Government throughout.
At times, it reads like a dark comedy film script, as it describes how the unidentified 64-year-old panicked and screamed with fear during his first flight in the Rafale-B.
Then he shot out at high speed, losing his helmet that had not been fastened round his chin properly, and then landing in a field close to the German border.
His anti-g force suit, worn by aviators who are subject to high acceleration forces and designed to prevent a blackout, had also become loose around the trousers.
It was only through good fortune that the pilot was not ejected by his passenger’s actions too — this could have led to a very serious crash.
The pensioner had “never expressed a desire to take part in a flight like this, and especially not in a Rafale,” reads the report by the Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis.
“The need to keep the surprise until the moment of the flight had hugely risky consequences, especially as regards preparation for the flight,” reads the report.
It continues: “This situation generated a feeling of stress for the passenger, and this was particularly felt during the ejection seat briefing where he had to assimilate a large amount of information in a very short time.
“In addition, the stress of surprise has been magnified by the complete lack of military aviation experience.
“The passenger said he had a complete lack of knowledge of the aeronautical environment and its constraints, having never flown on a military aircraft.”
The 35-year-old captain on the flight, which took off on a sunny afternoon on March 20, had 2,000 flying hours behind him.
This included 905 in a Rafale, but he was used to having a military comrade in the back seat of the two-seater jet.
The flight had also been authorised by the French Air Force staff at the request of the Defence Ministry, which also piled pressure on the pensioner who was “considered a VIP”.
Analysis of radio recordings show that the pilot was “in control of the situation”.
“He then demonstrated a certain calm to pilot following the loss of the rear seat and the canopy,” the report continued.
The pensioner, meanwhile, had expected a gentle ascent, but the plane “climbed at 47 degrees”, compared to around 10 to 15 degrees for a standard passenger plane.
This was when the Frenchman reached out to hang on to anything he could, and pulled the ejector handle.
There was then a loud bang, with the force of the ejection tearing his unsecured mask and oxygen mask from his face.
The Rafele-B’s command ejection system is meant to fire both seats at once — meaning the pilot feared his seat would fly out at any moment.
Instead he managed to land, while the pensioner’s parachute worked, and he landed in a field, shocked and with minor injuries.
The report calls on the French Airforce and the Defence Ministry to review its procedures for allowing civilians on military flights.
