In a freak accident, a civilian who was on board a two-seater Rafale fighter of the French Air Force was injured after he was accidentally ejected from the aircraft as it was taking off on Wednesday.
Reuters reported the accident occurred at the Saint-Dizier air base, a key facility for French Rafale jets.
A spokesperson for the French Air Force said the passenger “did not belong to the Ministry of the Armed Forces” and was carrying out an “information flight”. The spokesperson added the passenger's injuries were not a cause for concern.
The pilot of the Rafale managed to immediately take control of the aircraft and land it safely, despite the loss of its canopy in the ejection. The pilot sustained injuries to his hands due to shattering glass debris, French newspaper Le Parisien reported.
While the identity of the passenger was not disclosed, some French media outlets reported he was about 64 years old. Reuters reported three investigations have been launched into the accident, which the French Air Force described as a “rare” incident. The investigations will attempt to find out whether the ejection was triggered by error on part of the pilot or passenger or whether there was a mechanical failure. Ouest-France, a French newspaper, quoted an Air Force spokesperson as saying there never has been an ejection seat accident on a Rafale.
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The French Air Force occasionally conducts orientation flights for 'VIPs' and journalists on the Rafale, which are done with the approval of the government.
The Rafale is the sole fighter aircraft in production for the French Air Force and Navy; the two services will induct a total of 225 jets by the next decade. According to Dassault Aviation, by April 2017, 148 Rafale jets had been delivered to the French military. The Rafale has also been ordered by India, the UAE and Egypt.
