A British Airways pilot was saved from certain death by his crew during a freak accident at 23,000 feet in the air. Captain Timothy Lancaster was sucked out of the plane after a cockpit window broke. Thankfully, a quick-acting flight attendant held onto his legs for twenty minutes until the plane landed.
The unbelievable story, which happened in 1990, is going viral on Twitter.
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A Miraculous Story
Twitter user David Farrier shared photos of a documentary detailing the event, shocking the community with the mind-blowing story.
“In 1990, the window of a plane fell off, and one of the pilots got sucked out, so they just held onto his legs while the plane landed,” he captioned his post.
British Airways Flight 5390
On June 10, 1990, British Airways Flight 5390 departed Birmingham Airport in England for Spain. After less than 15 minutes in the air, the BAC One-Eleven aircraft experienced a problem.
The Cockpit Windows Smashed
While the plane was flying over Oxfordshire, two of the cockpit windows, which were later found to be improperly installed, separated from their frame. This caused an explosive decompression, propelling the captain out of his seat and getting sucked out of the window.
Saved By His Crew
The loud bang was heard by flight attendant Nigel Ogden, who was on his way to the cockpit when the accident happened.
Immediately after the windows broke, air rushed into the cockpit, causing condensation and strong winds to fill the space.
One Flight Attendant Was Quick To Act
Ogden recounted the terrible ordeal to The Sydney Morning Herald , saying: “I jumped over the control column and grabbed him round his waist to avoid him going out completely.”
“His legs were jammed forward, disconnecting the autopilot, and the flight door was resting on the controls, sending the plane hurtling down at nearly 650 kmh through some of the most congested skies in the world.”
Holding On For Dear Life
According to Ogden, his arms were getting weaker by the minute but he managed to hold on to the captain.
Meanwhile, Lancaster’s upper torso was exposed to extreme wind and cold. His body went into shock and he became unconscious.
Co-Pilot Makes An Emergency Landing
Lancaster’s co-pilot, Alastair Atchison, swiftly took over the controls and was able to make a successful landing, despite the chaos in the cockpit.
The whole incident lasted about 20 minutes and no passengers were injured.
Everyone Survived
Miraculously, everyone survived the accident. Ogden had cuts and bruises on his arms and later suffered from PTSD. Captain Lancaster was treated for frostbite, bone fractures, a broken left thumb, and shock.
Back To Work
Lancaster made a full recovery and went back to flying just five months after the disastrous flight. He worked for British Airways until 2003 and retired in 2008.
The crew, and Lancaster, were awarded for their bravery, which not only saved the captain’s life but also the 81 passengers on board the plane.
