Civilian accidentally ejected from plane

A man has survived being ejected 100m into the air after accidentally deploying a plane's rocket-powered emergency ejector seat.

The civilian went through the craft's perspex canopy and experienced 20g forces after he took off with a member of the Silver Falcons display team last Wednesday at Langebaanweg Air Force Base near Cape Town, South Africa, the country's Times reports.

A retired pilot said: "We train for this and if you don't get it right, and are not in the correct ejection posture, you can sustain severe spinal cord injuries or even worse.

"All it takes is for the firing handle to be pulled up about 2.5cm and you're on your way out. You get one almighty kick under the backside and then you're gone."

The unnamed man, who floated to safety on a parachute, is believed to have pulled the lever in the Pilatus PC-7 Mk II as he tried to steady himself during a manoeuvre.