---
title: "A civilian was ejected from a French fighter jet during takeoff"
description: "A 64-year-old civilian passenger was accidentally ejected from a French Air Force Dassault Rafale B fighter jet during takeoff from Saint-Dizier Airfield, a French military spokesman said"
date: "2019-04-02"
modified: "2019-04-02"
authors:
  - name: "Jared Keller"
    job_title: "Former Managing Editor"
    link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/jaredkeller/"
url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/french-fighter-jet-ejects-civilian/"
categories:
  - "Aircraft"
  - "Around the World"
  - "Europe"
  - "Fighter Aircraft"
  - "News"
  - "Tech & Tactics"
tags:
  - "European Command"
---

# A civilian was ejected from a French fighter jet during takeoff

![](<https://taskandpurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/19331866-1.jpg>)

In what can accurately be described as a total f\*cking nightmare, a 64-year-old civilian passenger was accidentally ejected from a French Air Force Dassault Rafale B fighter jet during takeoff from Saint-Dizier Airfield, a French military spokesman [said](<https://www.aerotime.aero/clement.charpentreau/22486-civilian-passenger-gets-unexpectedly-ejected-from-rafale-b-jet>).

The unidentified civilian, who the French military [said](<https://www.aerotime.aero/clement.charpentreau/22486-civilian-passenger-gets-unexpectedly-ejected-from-rafale-b-jet>) "does not belong to the \[French\] Ministry of Armed Forces" and The Aviatonist [speculates](<https://theaviationist.com/2019/03/21/civilian-passenger-ejected-from-a-two-seat-french-rafale-b-jet-during-take-off/>) was likely aboard for an orientation flight, reportedly suffered serious injuries during March 20th incident.

"His health condition is not a cause for concern," French Air Force spokesman Col. Cyrille Duvivier [told](<https://www.aerotime.aero/clement.charpentreau/22486-civilian-passenger-gets-unexpectedly-ejected-from-rafale-b-jet>) aviation industry site AeroTime.

The incident spurred the French Air Force to suspend training missions involving its Rafale fleet as a precautionary measure, French aviation site Aviation Journal [reported](<https://www.journal-aviation.com/actualites/42118-une-partie-des-rafale-francais-clouee-au-sol>) at the time. The suspension was lifted on March 28th.

Three separate investigations involving French military and civilian aviation authorities are currently underway to determine the cause of the ejection, The Aviationist [reports](<https://theaviationist.com/2019/03/28/french-rafale-jets-grounded-after-passenger-was-accidentally-ejected-from-a-two-seater-last-week-return-to-flight/>).

While it's unclear exactly how fast the aircraft involved was traveling, but the Rafale was designed for both land and carrier operations, meaning it's capable of taking off from a short (less than 400 meter) runways with some additional thrust.

Here's hoping the afterburners weren't on.

### SEE ALSO: Boat Captain To US Fighter Pilot: 'Buzz Us Like Tom Cruise Did The Tower In 'Top Gun'

### WATCH NEXT: An Air Force Colonel Took An F-16 For A Booty Call

## Author
Jared Keller is the former managing editor of Task & Purpose. His writing has appeared in Aeon, the Los Angeles Review of Books, the New Republic, Pacific Standard, Smithsonian, and The Washington Post, among other publications.

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