What Does this Handle Do?

Nothing like an inadvertent ejection story to keep the workday moving along. (Thanks to aviation photographer Jose Ramos who shared this with us via Facebook.)

As the plane rolled into another stomach-churning manoeuvre, the passenger was probably wishing that he was somewhere else. Then, just like that, he was.

The man, a civilian joyriding with his air force pilot friend, accidentally grabbed the eject lever while trying to brace himself. He was instantly fired through the aircraft's perspex canopy and blasted 320ft (100m) into the sky by the rocket-powered chair. He then floated down to the ground with a parachute that opened automatically.

Experts said he was lucky to escape unharmed from the bizarre accident last week in South Africa.

Read the rest of the story here.

DT readers may remember a similar incident involving a ship driver accidently punching out of a Tomcat over the ranges of Fallon a few years back. That one happened after the pilot rolled inverted as well. The pilot got to drive a convertable F-14 back to the field after his blackshoe passenger departed.

-- Ward