A pensioner who was gifted a surprise ride in a jet accidentally ejected himself mid-flight.
Fighter Jet
The unnamed individual received the experience as a retirement present but panicked on the plane.
He unintentionally grabbed the ejector set handle and shot out at high speed, according to a report released by the French Ministry of Defence.
Fortunately, the 64-year-old's parachute opened and he landed in a field close to the German border, suffering only minor injuries.
The report read: ''The need to keep the surprise until the moment of the flight had hugely risky consequences, especially as regards to preparation of the flight.
''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.''