A man who was terrified by his retirement gift from co-workers -- a ride in a fighter jet -- grabbed the ejector handle in a panic and was launched through the skies 2,500 feet above the ground.

Somehow, nobody died. A civilian who was "forced" by his friends to take a ride on a fighter jet accidentally opted out -- right in the middle of it.

An F-35A Lightning II and two F-16 Fighting Falcons. US Air Force The jets all have ejector seats made by Martin-Baker Aircraft. Steve Roberts of Martin-Baker told Bloomberg only F-35s were affected.

The US Air Force has grounded its fleet of F-35 jets over concerns about the ejector seats. Bloomberg reported that the issue involved the seats' explosive cartridges made by Martin-Baker.