British Airways pilot sucked out of aircraft window as cabin crew held onto him by the ankles | UK | News | EUROtoday

A flight attendant who held on to his captain’s legs as he was sucked out of a damaged window has spoken of his terrifying ordeal.

British Airways pilot Tim Lancaster was sucked from his cabin after its glass windowpanes shattered, with cabin crew member Nigel Ogden solely in a position to maintain on to him by his ankles till the aircraft safely landed.

The incident occurred on June 20, 1990, because of the fallacious bolts getting used to suit the windscreen of the aircraft, which was 13 minutes into its flight from Birmingham to Malaga, at 17,300ft, when the home windows shattered.

Mr Ogden was within the cockpit on the time the window burst and his fast considering noticed him in a position to grasp Mr Lancaster’s legs earlier than he was completely flung from the aircraft.

In an interview with Australian newspaper, the Sydney Morning Herald, Mr Ogden revealed Mr Lancaster’s physique was being “bent upwards” and “doubled over round the top of the aircraft” as he was being sucked “in a U-shape around the windows”.

Mr Ogden stated: “There was an enormous explosion. I whipped round and saw the front windscreen had disappeared and Tim, the pilot, was going out through it – he had been sucked out of his seat belt and all I could see were his legs.

“I jumped over the management column and grabbed him spherical his waist to keep away from him going out fully.”

The power weakened Mr Ogden’s arms and he began to get frostbite. Believing he was going to lose his grip on Mr Lancaster, a second flight attendant, John Heward, arrived within the cockpit and managed to seize the captain’s belt.

He added: “His face was banging in opposition to the window with blood popping out of his nostril and the aspect of his head, his arms had been flailing and appeared about six ft lengthy.”

Co-pilot Alistair Atchison had taken management of the aircraft and instructed his colleagues to maintain maintain of Mr Lancaster.

Had they misplaced him by way of the window, the captain would have died and his physique would have additionally prompted severe injury to the aircraft, probably resulting in additional points for these aboard.

Mr Atchison first carried out an emergency descent and managed to information the aircraft to an altitude the place the crew and passengers had been in a position to breathe.

The first officer then ready to make an emergency touchdown, along with his colleagues nonetheless holding on to the captain out of the window.

The aircraft safely landed at Southampton Airport, with Mr Lancaster being taken to hospital. He survived the ordeal, sustaining a variety of fractures and bruising, alongside frostbite, whereas all passengers on the flight had been unhurt.

The full crew returned to work inside weeks of the incident, with Mr Lancaster flying simply 5 months later. He stayed with BA till 2003 when he was awarded the Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service within the Air.