The incident took place aboard a BAC-111 aircraft en route from Birmingham to Malaga before the cockpit window shattered unexpectedly. Steward Simon Rogers and a colleague rushed forward to secure Captain Tim Lancaster, whose upper body was trapped outside, while co-pilot Alistair Atchison navigated the descent. Atchison successfully brought the jet down around 9 a.m. at Southampton Airport, allowing 77 travelers to proceed on a replacement flight. Lancaster was hospitalized in comfortable condition, treated for shock, frostbite on one hand, and multiple arm and wrist fractures.
Key points
Crew members prevented a fatal fall by physically restraining the captain until the plane…: Crew members prevented a fatal fall by physically restraining the captain until the plane could make an emergency landing.
The aircraft safely landed with no serious passenger injuries, though six passengers and…: The aircraft safely landed with no serious passenger injuries, though six passengers and crew were treated for shock.
Civil aviation authorities initiated an immediate investigation to establish why the cock…: Civil aviation authorities initiated an immediate investigation to establish why the cockpit windscreen suddenly blew out mid-flight.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
A British Airways captain was nearly pulled out of his aircraft after a cockpit window shattered at 24,000 feet during a flight from England to Spain in June 1990. As the aircraft lost pressure, the force pulled the pilot's upper body through the broken window. Two crew members held on to him while the co-pilot took control and prepared for an emergency landing.
According to Associated Press' then report, the incident took place on June 10, 1990, aboard British Airways flight 5390. The BAC-111 aircraft had taken off from Birmingham and was heading to Malaga, Spain, with 81 passengers and six crew members on board. Captain Tim Lancaster, 41, was flying the aircraft with co-pilot Alistair Atchison, 39.
About 20 minutes after take-off, a cockpit window shattered. The sudden loss of pressure affected the flight deck and pulled Lancaster out of his seat. His head and shoulders were outside the aircraft, leaving the crew with little time to react.
A steward in the forward galley heard a loud bang and saw what had happened. He rushed towards the cockpit and…
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