Can you imagine being ejected from a fighter jet without even leaving the ground? A jaw-dropping incident unfolded recently at the Barnes Air National Guard Base in Westfield, Massachusetts, where a backseat passenger of an F-15D Eagle surprisingly ejected while the aircraft was still on the taxiway. This kind of mishap is extremely rare and raises eyebrows about safety protocols in military aviation.

In a video that quickly made its rounds on social media, the aftermath of this shocking event can be seen. As the F-15D continued to taxi, a puff of smoke emerged from the backseat—the moment at which the passenger ejected. The canopy had been blown off and was resting on the left wing of the aircraft, and astonishingly, the passenger was spotted crawling near the runway, seemingly next to a parachute, while the fighter jet rolled on without a hitch.

According to Dale Stark, who captured the moment on Twitter, this incident was a “near zero-zero ejection”—meaning the aircraft was at a standstill with no altitude. Even in such a seemingly safe scenario, ejections can pose serious risks, which makes this event all the more intriguing. While it might not be the first time a passenger has accidentally ejected from a tactical jet, it’s certainly a rarity. Comments from an Air Force Facebook page indicated that the individual who ejected was possibly a recruiting officer from the 104th Fighter Wing, though their identity hasn’t been confirmed.

We’ve reached out to the 104th Fighter Wing for additional details and will keep everyone updated on this unfolding story. Talk about a wild day at work!