Civilian Ejects Himself from a Fighter Jet | Accident Report Discussion

[@bluetone237]

I flew backseat Mig-29. Will always remember pilot pointing at my ejection handle "please do not grab this, my government will be unhappy with both of us" 😆

[@rtcameron1]

Lucky you

[@jason127x99]

bluetone237 bad ass! I'd kill for a ride in one of those jets!

[@banshee107]

😂😂

[@harpoon_bakery162]

u let him wizzo you?

[@mikeseabrooks7978]

@@jason127x99 There is a website called migflug in which you can purchase a flight in one. Cost you about 12500-14500 euros

[@stuart124]

Le Pilot: * pulls 4g manoeuvre * Le Passenger: "I'm only cleared to 3g fam, I'm out"

[@Whistlen_Dixie]

Good one lol

[@KF5NRU]

@@Whistlen_Dixie I love it lol

[@Whistlen_Dixie]

Bada ba ba baaaaaaaa. I’m loven it.

[@trenkys9327]

Gotta follow what the doctor said

[@starfighter1043]

Literally 🤣

[@xXxKAMIKAZExXx]

“Instead of going through the news articles, I’ll actually use the actual source.” If only everyone did that.

[@VoidHalo]

These days you'd be lucky if somebody reads more than the title of a news article. Nevermind actually referring to the original content or citations for the article. I hate sites that only ever get by doing that, too. Like this one for electronics, Hackaday. They'll just write their own article about another article on a lesser known site and link to that article at the end of their story. And since Hackaday has more brand recognition, everyone will be more likely to click on their version of the article than the original one when presented with thumbnails for both.

[@wes4522]

If only the actual media did that!

[@seeker296]

@@VoidHalo if everyone looked at the original source our overlords would lose our 80 hour work week. We would need like 10 hr work week for people to actually have that time

[@f..kingf..k]

He got everything in one trip. Ride in a fighter jet, ejecting, and a sky dive.

[@DollyRanch]

Dustin M ejecting counts as a rocket launch, so does that make him an astronaut? Yes

[@casinodelonge]

Don't forget lunch!

[@f..kingf..k]

@@DollyRanch I guess so!

[@TruthNerds]

@@casinodelonge I'd assume his lunch was also ejected, though…

[@rkan2]

This cracked me up after reading the comment by someone that he wanted to do a sky-dive :D Maybe everyone was actually in on it? hahahaha

[@markenda1]

As the man's friends watch him take off " There goes Pierre". A few seconds later"THERE GOES PIERRE!!!!!!!!."

[@robem2349]

Wanted to share this with you and your subscribers as long as we are on a "funnier topic" kzbin.info/www/bejne/Zp6aiGyVoLqslas enjoy!

[@davo1093]

I just laughed SO hard! 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@davo1093]

There goes Pierre 😆🤣🤣🤣

[@KokoroKatsura]

there's fighter's destiny game for n64 a clown named pierre

[@Red1676]

Sugar ray sang a song about this guy and didnt even notice.

[@adam7347]

Lesson learned: REMEMBER TO TURN YOUR EFFING GOPRO ON.

[@bokiNYC]

🤣🤣🤣

[@scgoatman]

Pilot: you OK back there? Retiree: Le’YEET!!!!

[@stylepoint1200]

Chris Morrison I laughed too hard at this comment!! Lmfao

[@aprendisdemago12]

Chris Morrison best coment Ever XDD i laughed really hard Lol hahahahaha

[@loganm2766]

Lmaooo

[@pavelvitkov6539]

I lol'd hard

[@doomworship4995]

underrated comment right there. I thought I knew where you were going, then you got me!

[@timothysherrange]

Few civies get to experience flight in a military fighter. Even fewer get to punch out.

[@timothysherrange]

@The Postman the ultimate "rage quit"

[@richardm2661]

He didn’t want the fighter jet ride, he had asked them for a parachute jump

[@ShuRugal]

I wonder if Martin-Baker sent him a tie?

[@cdnbcn6164]

He got a ride of a lifetime hahahaha

[@BradWithAnM]

Chuckled pretty hard at this.

[@Daniel-wb4lr]

When my wife wants something I usually get an incentive ride

[@1MinuteFlipDoc]

🤣

[@chrisbamsey9893]

😎

[@matteverett]

This made my day. Thank you sir.

[@mikeypops73]

Lol thug life chose you.

[@noahhastings6145]

How's your eject game?

[@Nathan93Baker]

Imagine how shit scared the pilot must be knowing his seat should pop any second.

[@Ze_Caporal]

Nathan93Baker And despite that he followed the procedure: - passage of the transponder on 7700 (distress code) - decision to avoid flying over all populated areas - fuel draining - adapted landing by a long finish Sorry for the comprehension I’m french ^^. I read the report. Very interesting. It’s says that would be a good point to be inspired by the procedure of the French Navy. In the French Air Force the mechanician check the pilot only visualy and it doesnt exist checklist (Mapwork) for an occasional passenger. while in the french Navy the checklist for the "Rafale Marine" is more gestual with readjustment of the harness if necessary by the guy in charge of the Plane. Other point the civilian had a personal pilot patch (like a real one) given by his friends. So the mechanician could be influcenced by this Edit: I recommend this channel: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fWOxkIuPZ82pmck it’s a former pilot of the French Navy (and formed by the US navy). He just started on YT. He was on some videos of "La Chasse Embarquée" for those who know (Amazing videos on Rafale by the French Navy).

[@DSiren]

@@Ze_Caporal I worked at an amusement park, and proper restraint is part of safety no matter the shape of the vehicle. In both fighters and roller coasters, you can pull negative or medium G, and in both cases most civvies don't know what to expect. It's on the employees to ensure safety of the passengers.

[@SunIRIise]

Probably the same fear that you have when you feel a cramp is coming, and all that you can do is hope to get into a comfortable position in time before it hits.

[@afrog2666]

@@DSiren Yeah that was poorly handled, Norwegian airforce will either clear you for 7g or not at all, ive you a G suit and strap you in just like anyone else lol. There have been some exceptions, but that`s newspaper headline stuff, like, "Bob 89, got to finally be in a fighter jet, look at him go" lol

[@afrog2666]

@Scott Summers lol, yeah, nobody ever cramps up, it`s super dangerous...

[@RavenJCain]

Scratches "Eject self from a Dassault Rafale." from the list.

[@dustinbailey9644]

Roland James 😂😂😂😂

[@IamDoogy]

I would save that one for the very END of my bucket list!

[@1MinuteFlipDoc]

@Will.J 🤣🤣🤣

[@unbearifiedbear1885]

And parachute descent 2 for 1

[@mattm3901]

Is that French for “assault rifle”?

[@tomsmith3045]

Head of French Air Force: "And this is why we can't have nice things."

[@crankthetank3581]

Yet they have all the nice things, have you seen how sexy rafales and mirages look like?

[@kinagrill]

'That was the quickest surrender in French History!'

[@seb250cr]

@@kinagrill their girls surrender even faster.

[@Vincemaan]

@@seb250cr Thats what my Grandpa said too! Greetings from Germany.

[@johndoe-cd9vt]

@@Vincemaan How does it feel to loose 2 World Wars ? France kicked your ass in WW1 and surrendered in WW2, but Germany surrendered 2 times... , and now in Europe they rely on our nuclear capabilities to protect their ass. Greetings from France.

[@bluescanfly1981]

The guy was like " Yeah, I'll show you a 3g restriction...[punch out]"

[@adambydand1214]

He was like, "Here's me pulling TWENTY G's, mo'f*ker!"

[@canadianwardog7118]

LMFAO!

[@ADGNet]

Cried with this comment.

[@loganthesaint]

I did live this

[@R2D2trashcan]

Lol this made me laugh just after a vasectomy so my balls hurt now. Just saying.

[@paulspydar]

Premature ejection happens when you get older.

[@daffidavit]

Happens when you're young too.

[@6Sally5]

😂😂😂 You win!

[@jamesneilsongrahamloveinth1301]

paulspydar, Brilliant . . .

[@Taistelukalkkuna]

Ejection is never too early or too late. You eject when time comes. - Old Jungle Proverb -

[@Andrew-13579]

Depends on how hot she is. If she's a C-130, it doesn't happen at all, you leap off the back ramp. ;)

[@drewb007]

There appears to have also been an element of having missed the most obvious question here. "Dude, do you want to do this?" It seems like our friend here did NOT want to fly but did not want to let down or appear ungrateful to his friends for having arranged this. Not everyone likes to fly, and not everyone who liked to fly wants to be in a fighter. Personally, I would love this opportunity. But it feels like this was probably a bad idea from the start. Great job walking us through this!! Thank you

[@guestimator121]

+Drew B Exactly, I absolutely agree. I mean, the biggest problem I would have is that I wouldn't want to exit the Raphale afterwards and they would have to carry me out, but if the poor guy doesn't like the idea, he should've said it.

[@KurNorock]

Eh. Doesn't really matter. He had plenty of opportunity to back out long before they took off from the runway. But he got into the jet. And since he got in the jet, it was up to him to just be a man, suck it up, and ride it out. He could handle a few minutes of discomfort. There was no need to almost kill himself and the pilot and possibly crash an expensive jet into who-knows-what and who-knows-who. Dude was a pathetic coward. Plain and simple. Even if he grabbed that handle to pull himself back into the seat, that is still the result of his cowardice overriding his sense. He knew what that handle did. They told him. But he pulled it anyway.

[@worldsedge4991]

“They wanted it to be a surprise for this guy.” Mission ACCOMPLISHED!

[@duanewilliams7353]

He sure surprised them!!!!

[@tito88191]

🤣 🤣 🤣

[@johncuervo3019]

😭

[@linanicolia1363]

you can always refuse your friends suggestions. This guy was a push over. Bah......

[@BuckarooBoya]

I've only ever been in a helicopter and have no intention of flying ever again

[@TheCivilWarriorProj]

"Looking cool is rule number one for being a fighter pilot" Driving a convertible is cool for drivers This Pilot got to fly a convertible.

[@RaoulThomas007]

TheCivil warriorproject My favorite line, I can’t lie!

[@hamsterstudios1107]

excellent logic

[@chrishill3536]

yeah but that suck ass for a jet.

[@equarg]

TheCivil warriorproject Yea...While the pilot was not ejected.... His shorts required changing as soon as landed!

[@SugaryPhoenixxx]

Real car people dont drive convertibles unless they are Jay Leno & can afford a fleet of 286 cars.

[@mikegamerguy4776]

French pilot risked his life to save that jet apparently. Elects to land and they aren't sure if the seat is going to eject... yikes.

[@RATsnak3]

MikeGamerGuy he probably would've lost his seat if he didn't save the jet.

[@raven800plays]

better to risk ejecting over an airfield and losing the jet in a controlled environment at the cost of injuring himself rather than risk the seat popping off and the jet lawn-darting into a civilian building. Pilot made the right call and should be commended for keeping his cool. I'd even elect to change his call sign to "Siège chaud" (Hot Seat) after something like that.

[@theguylivinginyourwalls]

@@raven800plays It'd make an interesting story to tell his grandkids someday. "Granddad, why'd they call you Hot Seat?" "Well, it all started when this guy ejected without warning..."

[@aksmex2576]

@@raven800plays If that pilot was in the US he would have gotten a medal, IDK if the French gave him one, but he deserved one, although maybe this wouldn't have happened if the pilot and others hadn't screwed up.

[@dannysplace7]

What was the risk to his life? It's a zero-zero ejection seat in there, it's more risk to people on the ground than the pilot.

[@timothysherrange]

"the Frenchest thing I can think of...they go to lunch."

[@Sev_Ash-amur]

lunch. That's what your pilots did when they got tehir ass kiked in red flag, but also when the F22 got rossed by the Rafale etc.. I love American fighters for many reasons, as much as french, but if you want to go stupid I can go stupid as well.

[@HO-bndk]

I wonder if they had aileron rolls with their lunch.

[@TCFamas]

Dude we French do nothing without a nice meal! 😎🇫🇷#frenchprotip btw we never do anything on an empty stomach (Iam a rescueswimmer in France so only on ships and from time to time with helicopters) an empty stomach only makes it easier to get motion sickness!

[@billdewahl7007]

Pfft even us Americans serve steak and eggs before sending a man to ride a rocket

[@JohnUSMC0311]

Lmao!!!

[@CodeNashor]

Medical staff: "3G restriction!" Old man: "Hold my ejection seat!"

[@MrMisanthrope1RBjr]

his name is not old man

[@springbloom5940]

Pull my lever

[@PhuVet]

He was like...i just peed myself, I bet it happens alot. Oh look, there's a yellow handle for the pee remover....yep...it removed it from the plane.

[@calebf612]

@@MrMisanthrope1RBjr OK, old man

[@mildyproductive9726]

So the pilot pulls 4. And then thinks, whoops. That's 1 too many. Immediately pulls -1. The pilot is good at math.

[@CanadianAvian]

Guy: Wants to avoid 3gs and decides to eject. 12g Ejection Seat: *Let Us Introduce Ourselves*

[@galacticwyvern9164]

Your comment made my day. Thank you lmao

[@HORNET6]

12? More like 18-20!

[@mordor1779]

He didn't wanted to avoid 3g, he just grabbed the ejection seat handle to hold on without knowing it would blast him off into the sky 😂

[@CanadianAvian]

Or...did he?

[@yesdeere1376]

😂

[@imaner76]

He used to be a nervous flyer. Now he's a terrified one!

[@stijnvandamme76]

just give him some sweets and a bag to put over his head and a valium to help him shut up kzbin.info/www/bejne/eYqyepWOf7mJf8U&gl=BE

[@DERP_Squad]

Going to Australia 'It's ok, I'll take the boat'

[@DERP_Squad]

@@stijnvandamme76 Or do a B A Baracas and slip the valium in his milk.

[@ARIXANDRE]

That contractor will DEFINITELY not forget this flight.

[@BradfordGuy]

Right? Talk about that once in a lifetime experience - he went all in.

[@TR1ppl3]

WolfSmack i guess you ment, he went all out.

[@jediael9906]

These comments oh my

[@billbrockman779]

It took me 29 years as an Air Guardsman to get a back seat ride. I can’t imagine not wanting to do it. The life support briefing was quite clear on ejection procedures. The pilot told me to only consider it if he were disabled and not able to communicate with me. My beef would be with crew chief who should have made sure this guy was strapped in properly.

[@alje311]

Some people simply don't like flying, its not for everyone. If they don't like the motions of a airliner chances are they'll be miserable in a fighter jet.

[@ColAngus]

Doctah: " Sir, you are limited to 3g's" Civilian: " I'm about to end this mans whole career"

[@maulerrw]

Ain't no body got time for 3G, everything's 5G these days!

[@theotryhard8651]

now thats FACTS AND LOGIC

[@armr6937]

I reckon the pilot did it on purpose. I'm Spanish, we live next to the French. I know these guys, he took the 3 G limitation and the chauffeuring bit to heart, unplugged his seat from the ejection system and gave the guy a negative g bump, to make the poor noob reach for that handle and kaboom. Even brings the jet back in one piece like a boss, makes the 64yr old a legend in the process.

[@scotte2815]

He must have pushed the "Ennemi en vue" button? You have to be careful in those French Retreat, uhh French Fighter Planes

[@iloooveBOMBS]

Doctah ? You play Arknights ?

[@ExploringCabinsandMines]

A family friend took me on a B-52 when I was 12 , the pilot told me under no circumstances touch the ejection flag, at 52 years old today I still remember that.

[@msmith53]

davetileguy ...ha! I am 80 and I remember my dad taking me to an air show in the very early 50’s and we overheard a early jet fighter pilot telling a fellow pilot that he almost pulled the RED handle, as ejection seats were very new in those days. He wasn’t laughing when he said that!

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

And the B-52 still flies and probably will outlive any of us.

[@sshep86]

Surely there are curcumstances where it makes sense to touch it. I mean, it's there for a reason.

[@oahuhawaii2141]

Nope. A 12-year-old kid isn't qualified to decide on ejecting from the B-52. The crew will decide.

[@sshep86]

@@oahuhawaii2141 But each seat has its own ejection lever? That kid just got told under no curcumstance should they touch it. You realise the dilemma there right?

[@Wonkabar007]

Yep its best to listen to the pilot on a incentive flight, I was too busy leaning forward in the back seat of a harrier, waving to my mates who were nearby holding a crucifix they had made out of twigs, and gesticulating I was gonna die, as the jet launched my head shot back in the seat , nearly blacked out, bloody good fun though.

[@Spitts44]

Squadron Flight Safety Officer, "Can you say that again please because I thought you just said we ejected a civilian". "Awe shit. This is going to be a long day".

[@ritobanmaity8826]

"Looking cool is rule number one for being a fighter pilot" This cracked me up so bad

[@vospersb.thorneycroft602]

Ritoban Maity Hello ☺️ Except if you were a B-58 Hustler pilot with 4 J-79!👍😳. The other two crew were just following the pilot through very small windows The F-4 Phantom only had two except for the RAF and FAA

[@rmhtexas5982]

"Off he goes" is the best description of an ejection I've ever heard.

[@harrisonjuhasz4045]

Huge respect to the pilot for getting that aircraft down safely. He knew that his seat should have banged out too, but didn't, so must have been thinking it could have gone at any second, which must feel awful. Unbelievable how poorly the whole pre-flight stuff was conducted though

[@swordimpulse07]

Yeah that plane could've crashed into a populated area if the pilot wasn't still in there

[@xXCrazyBearXx]

I'm not sure if it applies to all fighters, but in the F-16, you can change the ejection sequence, this is a mandatory step if the jet is scheduled for an incentive flight. The crew chief will set the sequence and the pilot will verify before taking the jet. This is so that in an event such as this, only the aft seat ejects and the pilot remains in the cockpit. However if the pilot pulls the lever, both will eject. Kudos to the pilot landing the plane without the canopy tho, must be quite the joy ride!

[@JoJo-vm8vk]

@@xXCrazyBearXx Yes, it's the same thing. I don't know why in this case, but it was set to both, and this is the sequencer failure that saved the pilot and plane.

[@blurglide]

I used to know a B-52 pilot. In flight school, he was in a T-38 and they flew through a flock of birds. His instructor pilot bailed out. He, the student, successfully landed the plane.

[@dblankenship88]

blurglide did they land that T-38 at Sheppard AFB?

[@Dcook85]

Civilian: *ejects* Pilot: Hey roll the window back up!

[@jason127x99]

Tregeta maybe the pilot farted and the old French dude said fuck this I'm out of her!!!!

[@jason127x99]

Tregeta I think the pilot has real bad gas. That explains the ejection.

[@MassLox]

I'm sure this is quite a serious incident, but god if I can't help laughing at the comedic value of it all.

[@IrLosin]

Same here, but I just don't get why they did not check he was strapped in correctly. It's like they let him do it himself. If it were my responsibility I would check every part of the equipment.

[@simodjordjevic2701]

Ha ha ha ha, me too..I got tears in my eyes..that's so typical French..he'll be la'fine..

[@natural-born_pilot]

If this incident happened in the USAF there wouldn’t be anymore fam flights.

[@Emmy_Reacher]

I keep imagining the guy in those split seconds before accidentally grabbing the handle, thinking "ok, this is too much, I'm at my limit, I can't take anymore---!" I'm just SO glad he survived without serious physical injury. I believe my MIND would be well & truly blown for the next decade.

[@MaverickX2k5]

Just imagine it was the other way round: grabbing the handle and your seat fails. Suddenly the pilot gets ejected and you as the passenger sit alone in a fighter jet without any experience on flying whatsoever...

[@rigilchrist]

Jesus - you are right, that thought hadn't ocurred to me.

[@alje311]

@KJW Rafael is a dual control cockpit from what I read, the backseater even without experience should be at least able to maintain straight and level flying.

[@mckennaConfig]

@@alje311 Wasn't the pensioner an airline pilot? Given his own flight experience, he should be able to fly the plane with the appropriate communication over the radio. Nervous as shit but not helpless.

[@MaverickX2k5]

@@mckennaConfig No, he was / is an about to be pensioned defense contractor and from what I remember to some degree uncomfortable with flying

[@RaoulThomas007]

That’s when you want to get a little nervous. Plus they were pretty close to the deck too!

[@itsnotallrainbowsandunicor1505]

Sounds something Inspector Jacques Clouseau would have done. "That damn avión did not like me!"

[@tristanholland6445]

Lol it does sound like a Pink Panther type of event.

[@nickysartclasses2495]

Pea Stone KATOS FAULT

[@itsnotallrainbowsandunicor1505]

@@nickysartclasses2495 That swine

[@ask4george1]

And then the chief inspector would yell at him, saying Clouseau I'll have your stripes !

[@itsnotallrainbowsandunicor1505]

@@ask4george1 'Give me ten men like Clouseau and I could destroy the world'

[@Raven.flight]

"Make sure you keep it under 3G" "No problem" 15 seconds in pulls 4G

[@Koozomec]

"J'vous jure ! J'ai rien touché !" "I swear ! I didn't touch anything !"

[@MrLapidary]

And then hands them the ejection handle.

[@frederic6970]

Koozomec j’ai glissé chef

[@spitfirealexix3640]

Bon ok mais j'ai flippé ok ?!!

[@wantdatcadpat44]

C’est pas ma faute, mon sandwich voulais ressortir!

[@Spyderz-xo9rz]

Vieux criss! Osti sans dessin! babababa

[@NCTuskie]

I’m disappointed no one has surprised me with an incentive ride.

[@andrewt.5567]

Just get an unfired airbag from a car, sit on it, set it off, and enjoy your ejector seat simulator.

[@jessekohler6000]

@@andrewt.5567 Ejecto-Seato Cuz!

[@bisonfunyuns4988]

Jesse Kohler Nice F&F reference

[@IamDoogy]

After watching this near fatal incentive ride, I would be awfully suspicious of any "friends" that offered me one.

[@party4lifedude]

I'm glad this ended up just being a lesson teaching moment for everyone involved, and not a disaster.

[@anonypersona3189]

To be fair... it was a disaster according to the taxpayers.

[@tapio83]

Also if the seats had worked properly, would have been a lot more expensive

[@houstonfirefox]

I wonder if he screamed "The Sky Is Mine!" as he went through the canopy?

[@mickd6942]

Houston Firefox to infinity and beyond

[@CaptainsDen]

“ Oh fuck me!”

[@duartesimoes508]

Maybe he screamed "Je suis le Roi de la Terre!"

[@juliocuellar-lopez1556]

mickd6942 LMFAO

[@RaoulThomas007]

I thought he did yell, “I’m the King of the Skies,” and then realized he was not in a James Cameron movie!

[@mrdumbfellow927]

That guy suffocating in the back seat with his mask on sounds horrifying. Couldn't imagine being the pilot for that flight and finding out he had expired right behind me. :(

[@IntrebuloN]

He would have struggled with his mask maybe for 20-30 seconds before passing out at the heart rate I expect he'd probably be at. He felt no pain, but he was probably terrified for a short while before the black spots appeared and start growing in his vision.

[@SugaryPhoenixxx]

When did he talk about that?

[@RimshotKiller]

@@SugaryPhoenixxx 20:30

[@no_regerts5176]

This is some final destination shit.

[@wes4522]

More likely a anxiety attack.

[@nukkurbusiness8806]

“Isn’t strapped in properly”..... “gets ejected from aircraft”

[@adamfarkas5327]

.... "survives with MINOR injuries". Talk about luck, damn.

[@tepsolson4361]

i'm french and in France we have talk about that accident. On two-seater Rafale, a selector makes it possible to choose between a separate ejection system for each seat ("solo" position) and a combined ejection sequence from the two seats ("two" position) when only one of the two handles d ejection is fired. This selector was in the "two" position, but an "internal malfunction of the sequence selector" enabled the pilot to remain on board. If it had been necessary, the pilot could however have manually triggered his ejection. But if the incident had involved an unconscious pilot, his navigator (or passenger, in this case) could not have saved his life. In the other direction, if the pilot had triggered the ejection for him and his passenger, but the double ejection had not worked, not sure that the passenger would have succeeded in ejecting alone.

[@uberdriverlondon]

Pilot: "Look at the cars, they are looks like ants." Pensioner: "THEY ARE ANTS!!!" Pulls lever...

[@lntrlp4936]

What you said sure is dumb.

[@mook3204]

Mactrip100 the first 30 seconds of the video says hes a pensioner

[@lancelot1953]

Hi C.W., at one point, I was the US Navy Liaison Officer with the France's Marine Nationale (the flying part of their Navy) over 30 years ago. My French counterparts treated us like "kings" and were as professional (more courteous, and ate better) than we (US Navy) were. Their Naval Aviation structure is very similar to ours - it is based on ours and we did have exchange pilots for a while. I read the report which is very similar in structure to our MIR (Mishap Investigation Report, Navy) i.e they consider every possible scenario/factor (even if it does not make sense) and discard ("rejected") the unlikely ones. The pilot of the Rafale was a very qualified and respected pilot and according to the report, it appears that this squadron gets tasked its share the PR and VIP flights (we did a few in the Navy, didn't we?). The pilot did the right thing, he declared an emergency, dumped fuel, got the area cleared and not knowing whether he had a "hot seat" or not, he requested routing away from "civilization" to dump fuel and do a long "gentle" straight-in approach. He was praised for his performance in that respect. It appears that the "inclusion of the civilian" was a "rush order" from higher above - the Mission Commander did decide to cancel/amend the "tactical part" of the mission because of his civilian passenger. According to the record and to MB's seat procedures, he was not to safety his seat upon landing and they cleared the area for 24 hrs until the "experts" disarmed his seat. The seat ejection interconnect failed (good for him), in my days (T-2's, TA-4's, F-4's), we used to have a "Ejection Command Selection) switch. We never gave control of the ejection to maintainers, VIPs, PR joy riders, etc - only with the RIOs and BNs (i.e. "pros") would we select "Both" ejection command. I do not know whether this selective command feature was/is available in the French two-seaters. Peace be with you, Ciao, L

[@zloy3641]

Bro he aient reading all this 💀

[@deadli-us]

Well, that’s a ride that guy will certainly never forget.

[@johnnytopgun6414]

@@ba946x4 probz both

[@TheCoella]

If he remembers, he'll never forget.

[@ksarnelli]

Imagine if the ejection system failed the other way and pilot was ejected instead of the civilian. That would be a bad day...

[@mattharper588]

Kory Sarnelli lmao

[@dominiquestephenson195]

There goes his 3g limit....

[@tasinal-hassan8268]

God help us all...

[@pauldg837]

Lmao can you imagine the horror?🤤🤤😂😂

[@notatallheng]

It could be worse. Imagine if the seats had fired but the canopy fracture system failed to trigger...

[@adub9077]

I could definitely see him gettn scared as he starts comin out of his seat, him grabbin for something and then he REALLY goes up 😂, that must have been extremely surprising...and totally awesome.

[@IrLosin]

Awesome, I don't think that is the word he will use to describe it :P

[@RimshotKiller]

​@@IrLosin *Incroyable :p

[@kevinkelleher4284]

"And we are clearing the airport sir! How are you feeling back there?!" *shwooommmm*

[@angeloc1340]

Imagine how awkward it would have been if he saw the pilot after all this happened lmao

[@annahenrietta9517]

@@angeloc1340 He had to. They were both brought in face to face to tell the story probably 😂😅

[@JamesHardy]

He's one of the only few civilians to ever be able to say I've ejected from a fighter jet.

[@DJSbros]

Hell, most pilots never experience it.

[@skinnyboimadden7781]

@@DJSbros *laughs in the luftwaffe version of the f-104 starfighter

[@philippehoudoin2721]

Most jet fighter pilots wont, either.

[@aurorauplinks]

@@skinnyboimadden7781 is that a stargate sg1 reference? oooh the rich billionare character who was finally informed of the stargate program because he figured out what his company was doing with genetic research of alien genomes and the components of the stardrives or soemthing for the f304 star fighters.... i take it you are refering to a german translation of stargate sg1, what a great fictional tv show that is.... i love a good science fiction story... im going to go download some episodes i think and watch them again, i miss the hijinks of Space Mcguyver

[@Dalemoooooon]

@@aurorauplinks The f-104 starfighter is a real plane, my dude.

[@wardcrisp]

WTH there was no flight assistant to strap him in and make sure to secure him, his gear and cockpit.. That is the fault of the pilot and ground crew..

[@RodrigoMFSP]

Recently, the same thing happened in the Brazilian Air Force. A mechanic flying in the back seat of an A-29 inadvertently triggered the plane's ejector seat

[@duartesimoes508]

E sobreviveu?

[@twitchosx]

@@duartesimoes508 No hablo espanol

[@RodrigoMFSP]

@@twitchosx it´s portuguese... and yes.. he survived

[@intruder313]

Silver lining is that they exposed some issues with the setup of the equipment !

[@stargazer2504]

He will forever be known by his friends as "That guy".

[@cgnicolis]

"if he'da been over water it woulda kinda sucked..." all the understatement of a fighter pilot .

[@jorgejefferson8251]

"Excuse me while i kiss the sky"

[@whiphid437Official]

brUHH Hahahahahahaha

[@SpeedyLizard]

I love (sarcasm) how most of the media outlets say that he "pushed the eject button". My initial response was [scratching my head] the French aircraft have a "button"?

[@maximsavage]

Most media outlets don't bother to research their subject properly before writing about it; any time spent researching is time for your competitors to publish before you. The result? Heaps upon heaps of bullshit. EDIT: corrected a typo.

[@theswaff699]

No, it's a bouton

[@CaraVerde]

Well, the medias here are always referring any, I say again... ANY semi-automatic (other than revolver) pistols, as FN 😁.

[@ObsidianParis]

Some billionaires would pay a million dollars to do the same !

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

They would just buy the plane and rent a pilot for it.

[@pixel8122]

HappyBeezerStudios - by Lord_Mogul it’s not a Cessna

[@ganador13]

"They were only cLEAred" You became a country singer for a second there.

[@hook86]

As soon as you said he ejected when the pilot unloaded, I knew exactly what happened haha. He grabbed the yellow and black handle to keep himself in the seat! I think him being strapped on loose was the biggest accident factor. I'd bet he wouldn't have felt the need to pull that handle if he hadn't rose up in his seat during those negative Gs

[@joshpointoh]

Yeah, everything points to this not even happening if he had been tight in that seat.

[@creativeclub2023]

Imagine Rafael technicians after mishap, how much courage it will take to a inspect a seat which will blow up any moment♥️😄

[@DERP_Squad]

It's why they left it for 24 hours. If it was going to, it probably would have by then. IIRC they also attached a tug to it to pull it around, a few break checks etc. to make sure that nothing was hanging and would complete the ejection circuit with a slight knock before they let any of the ground crew near it.

[@kwhp1507]

Sounds like a job for EOD! Fucking hilarious!

[@bryanjansen1456]

I can't imagine the one opportunity you get to ride in a fighter and it's over in 10seconds... poor guy

[@RaoulThomas007]

Bryan Jansen The same thing happened with his first wife...

[@whiteclinen2118]

plot twist: they surprised him with a flight so he surprised them with a "See ya"

[@randomchaos606]

This accident revealed a bunch of inadequacies so, you can't really blame the guy lol

[@karlwalters3763]

Sounds like he wasn't to keen on the ride in the first place. He probably panicked as the negative g's were hitting. So just an accident caused by a scary situation for the passenger.

[@natural-born_pilot]

Bull shit that accident should never have happened!

[@czdaniel1]

I can blame the guy! I grew up hearing nothing but Ejection-Seats Disaster Stories from my parents....as far as I'm conscerned, the Ejection Seat is a Death Trap and should only be used to avoid certain death

[@borismuller86]

I’m just amazed that he wasn’t killed. Honestly.

[@TheRealCoyote]

Why would he get killed? Honest question.

[@llamallama1509]

@Alles Gut Zero-zero ejection seats have been around for decades now. They're designed to be survivable from zero altitude and zero speed.

[@jameshansen7092]

Wiley E. Coyote eject is risky business, lots can go wrong

[@dannygjk]

@@jameshansen7092 Wiley E. Coyote doesn't worry about risk. After all look at the gadgets he uses.

[@DoggoWillink]

Wiley E. Coyote Because the g forces of the seat ejecting are even stronger than that of very high g maneuvers, especially at high speeds. He probably took over 10 gs, and he was only cleared for 3 medically.

[@CAAT-pf5ol]

My Uncle was killed during an USAF incentive flight back in '82. He was the top of his class in mechanic school. The T48? Had mechanical problems leading the pilot to eject. Sometime during the ejection sequence he was killed. RIP Uncle Jimmy Semper Fi

[@CAAT-pf5ol]

@M W They switched the jet he worked on with another students. That student left a wrench somewhere that it was able to lodge against the flight controls locking them. And no the irony isnt lost on us.

[@PulseParadox]

M W yo stfu bro

[@Excludos]

@@PulseParadox I know this isn't how it's most often used, but irony does not have to be funny. You can point out irony and still be respectful

[@PulseParadox]

Excludos wym?

[@davidh6300]

I'm a little angry at that person for leaving the wrench there.

[@jaytrock3217]

I remember the first time jump at Benning my straps were to tight. Second jump I loosen them. Third Jump made as tight as possible.

[@davecrupel2817]

Hahahaha

[@theripcord03]

Yea, you only leave those straps loose one time, same with rappelling/rock climbing harnesses

[@JameHealy]

"Then they did the Frenchest thing I can think of ... they went for lunch" 🤣

[@nicolaeionescu6538]

I thought he was gonna say they surrendered to someone.

[@dominiquestephenson195]

Nicolae Ionescu 🤣

[@forsaturn4629]

@@nicolaeionescu6538 wtf

[@tasinal-hassan8268]

@@nicolaeionescu6538 I thought he was gonna say they engaged in cuckoldry.

[@DBFIU]

And zen, fire ze missles!!!!

[@tailhookmd2546]

God Mover that was classic “they did the Frenchest thing ever, they briefed then went to lunch.” Love this channel!

[@johndoe-cd9vt]

Keep in mind this is a joke, we don't really do that...

[@Calinks]

Why would they surprise someone with something like this when they have no interest in doing it? Lol recipe for disaster.

[@TTH247]

I hope the passenger gave a ****punch to his friend who surprised him.

[@anonypersona3189]

Most likely because they simply could. Not many people could even make this happen to begin with and people that can know that for a fact and think to themselves, "why not, once in a lifetime experience... who wouldn't want to pass this up...".

[@AdamCasada]

He must not have asked or indicated that he might want to cancel his flight. They apparently only realize now after talking to him how worried he was.

[@davecrupel2817]

Surprise someone like me! Someone who would KILL to do this!

[@speedbird983]

Hey mate, got the 4 book series, read the first one in 2 days, couldn’t put it down! Awesome stuff

[@blurglide]

I got a T-37 incentive ride in ROTC. They tell you the difference between "get out" and "bail out". Reportedly some kid a few years before, AFTER his flight, and after they taxied in and parked, was told "all right...let's get out"....and he PULLED THE HANDLES! That wasn't a zero/zero seat either. He reportedly lived but was pretty messed up.

[@CrimenesDiarios]

Darwin awards.

[@mozza7189]

In the RAF the instruction from the pilot is EJECT, EJECT, EJECT.....The third one is an a echo cause he’s already gone

[@Name-ps9fx]

Mozza Wonder if that’s where DCS gets the “Ctrl + E E E” command...?

[@blurglide]

@@mozza7189 In the USAF, emergency air egress was "bail out, bail out, bail out!" and emergency ground egress (open the canopy and jump over the side) was "get out, get out, get out!". I suppose Eject is more differentiated, so hopefully the USAF has switched to that by now.

[@cageordie]

Our guys were fond of saying "If we need to eject I will say Eject! Eject! Eject! and if you hear the third one it will be an echo".

[@Asfixiator7]

Who does a civilian have to know to get a surprise like this? Asking for a friend.

[@andrewt.5567]

A frenchman that pretends to like you, but really doesnt.

[@notmenotme614]

I’m guessing he was a civilian who’s job had something to do with supporting the Airforce. Maybe he was a contractor or worked for the aircraft manufacturer.

[@Sideshowbobx]

@@notmenotme614 Civilian contractor to the french air force for couple decades, retiring form some middle management position presumable. Quiet possible that he was from Dassault and got a short ride in his company's products. Guess that their idea of after-sales product support and testing.

[@hoilst]

Not "know", but a word that rhymes with "know" and has the same number of letters, and two of those letters are in the same place, and are even the same letters.

[@ErnestoBoots]

@@hoilst snow? 😎

[@Beeterfish]

"If it was on (the GoPro), they would have had some cool footage." This cracked me up hard!

[@trevor311264]

Some years ago a civvy was getting an air experience flight in the back of a Harrier T.4 out of RAF Wittering in England. During the flight there was a bird-strike on the canopy, the bird coming through and striking the pilot in the face, knocking the pilot out. Clearly the passenger had more presence of mind than most, because she somehow radioed the tower, who told her that there was no way she could fly the aircraft and that she should pull the ejection handle, which she did. the result was a successful double ejection, both suffered no further injury from ejecting. The aircraft had gone nose down after the ejection, and crashed harmlessly into a field nearby. Loss of the T.4 but otherwise a good result.

[@DeathBlossom867]

If not for the bird strike I would have waffled for a second on whether to punch out right then or get a little stick time in first. I mean, the plane's ending up in the same place either way, might as well milk it a little.

[@boxedfender4810]

@@DeathBlossom867 lol

[@justsam100]

Armor piercing ballistic bird

[@gravitypronepart2201]

Jeeezz! How did the bird strike not kill the pilot? !

[@duartesimoes508]

In the eighties a T-38 from the Portuguese Air Force suffered a birdstrike right in the windshield. The bird passed through, hitting the front seater in the face and incapacitating him. He would lose an eye. The back seater landed the plane.

[@wayfaerer320]

Guy was lucky. A 7-year old kid was killed when he ejected himself out of a Navy S-3 Viking on static display at Willow Grove Naval Air Station (during an airshow) back in 1980. I grew up next to the base and although it happened a few years before I was born, it's still talked about.

[@GeekOfAllness]

news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2199&dat=19800707&id=HpcyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=gucFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4108,1220581&hl=en , I presume. newspaperarchive.com/doylestown-intelligencer-jul-07-1980-p-1/ has a more in-depth explanation. The OCR text isn't all that great, but you can get the gist of it without subscribing to the service (click "show article text (OCR)" then search for "boy thrown"). I'm not finding an actual report of the accident investigation to find the root cause, but it seems likely the boy yanked it and it wasn't disabled like it should have been. The parachute failed to open properly which could have sucked, but the boy wasn't strapped in so I doubt it would have mattered much. The kid probably wasn't in the seat when he hit the ground. This guy was (mostly) properly attached to an in-service seat that (mostly) worked as intended, so it would be more surprising if he'd died.

[@itsnotallrainbowsandunicor1505]

He suddenly found religion when he shot through the canopy, "Mon Dieu!"

[@_skyfall24]

Hahaha

[@pauldg837]

Very good. 😂😂😂

[@khandimahn9687]

Personally, I'd be f-ing ecstatic if my friends surprised me with a flight in a fighter!

[@vospersb.thorneycroft602]

Khandi Mahn Hello ☺️ 👍👍😱👍

[@jason127x99]

Khandi Mahn same here! I had my first commercial fight back in 08. I was excited. Even though it doesn't even compare to s fighter plane. Take off was so fun! Landing not so much. It's was windy when the plane made its landing. Plane was move side to side a little more than I liked. I still fly in a heartbeat. Little wind doesn't bother me.

[@smithwesson7765]

I imagine that after the primary ejection there was secondary ejection...in his shorts.

[@stijnvandamme76]

Pilot : Sorry dude, le doc says we gotta keep it below 3G Pax : I Want mooooore : yanks the handle

[@adam45011]

911s73targa 😂

[@IK4MS]

"Le pilot" nor the passenger knew about the 3G restriction, actually.

[@CaptainsDen]

The old guy left a dookie contrail on the way out.

[@jason127x99]

CaptainsDen that and the pilot had some ranky ass gas!! Old dude couldn't handle it! So it really was an emergency ejection! 💩😷😂😂😂😂😂

[@Davido50]

Nastiness for sure . Ask for details...

[@marketingguru6986]

Good one!

[@mike.47]

My son was a cadet in the U.K.’s A.T.C. (Air Training Corps) and he won a flight in Tucano flying from R.A.F. Cranwell. After his medical he was deemed to be too light to use the ejection seat. Apparently you have to be over a certain weight to be safe in the ejection seat.

[@deluxeassortment]

If I was that pilot, I'd be rethinking my life. Imagine if he'd needed that ejection seat one day. This mistake might have saved a pilot's life.

[@alje311]

Exactly, and I hope this will cause the French Airforce to pull all Rafaels for an immediate inspection.

[@FrostyWheats]

Al Je he said it caused the fleet to be grounded so I’d think so

[@biteme263]

Oh someone is getting in trouble for that, I can assure you. Or at least that would be the case in the United States Air Force. Not sure about the French. We document everything so they would know who the last person was to touch that part or system. And if there is a crash or a failure of some kind they poor over the forms with a fine tooth comb, look at the aircraft and question the people that worked on it.

[@thez0diarche]

Al Je The fleet have been grounded for like 2weeks last year due to this event

[@Mr7o4]

I wonder what the procedure for egressing a potentially hot ejection seat on the ground is - that must be a bit unnerving...probably along the lines of hurry the hell up I'd imagine...

[@yxeaviationphotog]

Unstrap and climb over the side and drop to the ground. That's about it in a nutshell.

[@marklnz]

@@yxeaviationphotog And hope it doesn't pop off when you're only halfway out...

[@kriskurowski9404]

@@marklnz Why? It's just that your one half will get to the ground quicker than the other half. They will both drop to the ground eventually so what's the problem?

[@hoghogwild]

Would have been unnerving the entire time after the back seat left. The Pilot knew that both seats should have fired(command ejection), yet he declared an Emergency, dumped fuel and landed. The seat could have fired at any moment, great way to break your wrists.

[@Kid574]

I'm pretty sure that if you disarm it you'll be fine

[@Calinks]

Damn the amount of errors seems embarrassing. This guy was quite lucky.

[@Deuce_Dufresne]

Where’d whooooo gooooooooo?

[@m.s.aviation7065]

Why does it say your comment was 17 hours ago?

[@Deuce_Dufresne]

Matthew Smiley's Aviation Center because I got a sneak preview

[@m.s.aviation7065]

@@Deuce_Dufresne really? Or just a glitch

[@itsnotallrainbowsandunicor1505]

@@m.s.aviation7065 If he's a patreon they get to preview the vid before it is posted public.

[@CSDonohue11]

😂🤣😂 PERFECT 👌 QUOTE OF THE YR PLACEMENT You know he literally 💩 his 👖 when that canopy popped off and he SHOT OUT! 😂🤣😂

[@patriciocordova449]

This all sounds very familiar, I own a Peugeot.

[@StevenBriggs]

This is one of my favorite comments, ever.

[@ace1usmc]

That's so funny! I owned a shop for years, and we had a hard rule on never taking in a few brands of cars - and Peugots were at the top of the list. Worst cars to work on in the history of the automobile. Saabs and Audis are also right up there.

[@TheSupriest]

@@ace1usmc It's funny, same for me, but Ford was at the top of the list though.

[@ace1usmc]

@@TheSupriest So true! We refused any F-250's or 350's. Removing the entire cab off the frame could cause so many disastrous issues. Hands-down, the most horribly designed full-size pickups in the US.

[@lotoox7299]

​@@ace1usmc Have you ever worked on an alfa romeo? I swear there' must be some mechanic who b#nged the lead engineers wife or something

[@staviation9238]

"Here's where I get off!" -civilian

[@dennisparks3692]

whenever I give "thrill" rides, I start out easy, do a safety check, and ease into it with them.. Then progress to full acro as they can tolerate it. No throwups in my back seat LOL

[@Ken_Dalton]

Where do u fly from Dennis, and do people need to pay to go up?

[@dennisparks3692]

@@Ken_Dalton no $$, Portland OR

[@nickkittens4307]

"Thrill Rides" ;)

[@Carbon_Based_Life_Form]

@@dennisparks3692 hey, good stuff giving rides for free. I've checked here and it's ABSURDLY expensive for rides. Would he nice to meet someone who can give one, on any plane as I've literally never been in the air before, for free no matter how short it is. So thank you!

[@JoshuaCollins]

Aero*

[@michaelmartin9022]

Official voice recorder trascript: "Hey what does this thing d-" (only in French)

[@KaitouKaiju]

"Oh? Qu'est-que ce fai-" *loud ejection noises*

[@ForcedfedFords]

@@KaitouKaiju mais je pense que c'est: "Qu'est-ce que ce fait" non?

[@KaitouKaiju]

@@ForcedfedFords Oui! C'était le correction automatique

[@marketingguru6986]

Hilarious!

[@louping8931]

@@KaitouKaiju Where do you get the audio recorder ? Can I have the link please ? :D

[@stevebarnes8317]

When I first heard about this I thought to myself what an idiot he must of been. Turns out the truth is he was not looked after properly at all. Poor bloke, I am glad he is unharmed at least physically.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

And I hope it hasn't destroyed the experience form him. Would be nice if he gets a "proper" run at some point.

[@ziliestarrive]

he became a few inches shorter

[@jamespitts10]

Must HAVE* been. Dude come on, I’m sure you passed 4th grade.

[@natural-born_pilot]

@@jamespitts10 hey nit pick we all knew what he was saying. Try impressing yourself elsewhere and research proper use of capitalization and asterisk while your impressing yourself.

[@animaltvi9515]

He walked funny for a while and entered a few suprano singing contests .

[@ashsmitty2244]

“Landing is not for me. I’m out!” “Race you to the pub!” This yellow handle thingie between my legs is great to hold onto.

[@maxpower7774]

"a lot of pain in the crotchital area". That'd take your mind off being explosively shot out of a jet at 400mph, at least for a moment. ARRRRGGHHHHHH MY BAWWWLLLLLZZZZ!!! Wait, where'd the jet go? 😂

[@wloffblizz]

Unfortunately prolly the other way around -- initially you'll have no idea wtf just happened as the shock and adrenaline has you running wild, but for the week afterwards... oh the pain.

[@magpiefrogfrom2556]

Did the old guy qualify for the badge? The ejection tie club.

[@abelincoln7473]

Yes he does, there's no differentiation on military or civvies. Take the ride, earn the tie.

[@ricatoni2]

Sorry i forgot my glasses and thought it said ejaculation..dammit!!

[@cookiemonsterdayz]

He's at least the newest member of the Martin Baker Fan Club. Don't know if this is a good thing....

[@Marcocai]

it could have been worse: they could have been still in the hangar! "Ah! Yeah... The ceiling"

[@6Sally5]

Marco Caibucatti That actually happened in the hangar bay in an aircraft carrier when I was stationed a NAS Alameda in ‘70. Maintenance tech set it off by accident.

[@cageordie]

My bang seat safety course included examples of hanger pilots ejecting into the structure while strapped in, and through the roof... while not strapped in. There are so many reasons you don't want to sit in that seat unless you belong there.

[@00calvinlee00]

NAS Willow Grove had two ejections, one non-fatal and sadly one fatal.

[@Doones51]

An AF veteran friend of mine told me of a guy in his squadron who leaned over the ejection seat and fired it in the hangar to kill himself. He succeeded.

[@rnichol22]

That has happened unfortunately. Not pleasant

[@mduval59]

The difference for the altitude is because on the report the mention height (hauteur) so it if QFE and not QNH.

[@thehotdogman9317]

Minister's Girlfriend: Hey, wanna come over? Defense Minister: I can't. I'm in a fighter jet. Minister's Girlfriend: My parents aren't home. Defense Minister:

[@joshwilliams8863]

*Go through the actual source* A man after my own heart.

[@amxoso]

Finally some accurate debrief on this incident. Incredible sequence of events made clearer by your professional opinion. Thank you.

[@prunesquallor3444]

What is strange to me is why his safety belts weren’t cinched up tightly. When my lucky buddy went for a ride in a Canadian CF/18 Hornet there was a dude who made sure his belts were cinched up tightly, and checked that everything was in order in the cockpit before take off. Seems it would be something that was universal, but maybe not.

[@ronniefranks4351]

I was stationed at Reese AFB in Lubbock, Texas many years ago. I can’t say with certainty but heard that a maintenance worker was killed when a T-38 ejection seat fired inside a hangar sending it through the roof.

[@jason127x99]

Ronnie Franks oh snap! You know he had a splitting head ache! Poor bastard!

[@equarg]

Ronnie Franks Ouch........😖

[@davidcruz8667]

We've had that stuff happen in the Marine Corps also. Seat qual is very important in naval aviation.