Monday, March 28, 2022

"French Fighter Jet Joy Ride Goes Très, Très Wrong"

We had posted a different version of the story in 2020 when it became more widely known as a result of the official investigation into the March 2019 incident.

From Car and Driver, Apr 13, 2020:

A French defense contractor riding in a Dassault fighter learned the hard way that the grab bar next to his seat was actually the ejection handle.

https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/images/dassault-rafale-b-of-the-french-air-force-royalty-free-image-1586806372.jpg?resize=980:*

Imagine: You work hard your whole life in the French defense industry, and when it's time to retire, your co-workers want to give you something more memorable than a gold watch or a set of golf clubs. So they set up a coveted back-seat ride in a Dassault Rafale B fighter jet, the kind of perk that requires serious connections.

Just one problem: nobody asked one particular 64-year-old civilian whether he ever wanted such a ride, or showed him much about what to expect. Next thing you know, the French Investigation Bureau for State Aviation Safety (BEA-E) is issuing a report explaining how Monsieur Newbie came to experience not only the Dassault, but also its Martin-Baker MK16 ejection seat.

Well, mistakes were made. Lots of them....

....MUCH MORE

Our Hero

https://taskandpurpose.com/uploads/2020/11/screen-shot-2020-04-14-at-115952-am-3.png

Previously: 

ICYMI: Retirement Gift Gone Bad—Man Gets Ride In Jet Fighter, Man Accidently Triggers Ejector Seat at 2500 Feet

which had the above pic and the note: "Fortunately the man's buddies were able to film the event for posterity (and the official report [link rotted]):"