A French pensioner survived being flung out of a plane at 2500 feet after grabbing the ejector handle to "steady himself".

The incredible story has been revealed by a French aviation investigation report which has found significant failures in the safety procedures for the flight.

In March 2019, the unnamed 64-year-old was given a flight in the jet to celebrate his retirement.

He did not really want the flight but was convinced to do it anyway by his colleagues at the defence contractor where he had worked for most of his career.

"This situation generated a feeling of stress for the passenger," reads the report by the Paris-based Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis (BEA)

"This was particularly felt during the ejection seat briefing where he had to assimilate a large amount of information in a very short time."