Summary
- A pilot was sucked out of the windshield mid-flight and held onto by a flight attendant.
- Quick response from cabin crew members saved passengers and prepared for an emergency landing.
- The co-pilot regained control and performed a safe landing.
Nearly 34 years ago, British Airways Flight 5390, operating a scheduled flight from Birmingham Airport in England to Malaga Airport in Spain, suffered a rapid decompression at 17,300 ft. Utilizing a BAE 1-11, the aircraft carried 87 passengers and crew when the incident occurred. Approximately 22 minutes into the flight, a windshield panel separated from the frame, causing a rapid decompression.
Despite unfortunate circumstances, the heroic actions of the pilots and cabin crew made it a fatality-free flight. The following is a list of incredible facts from the horrifying flight, as highlighted in the Aviation Safety database.
1 The pilot blowout
The pilot was sucked out of the windshield mid-flight
| Aircraft speed | 650 km/h |
| Aircraft Altitude | 17,300 ft |
| Outside temperature | -23 C |
As a result of the windshield panel breakout, Pilot Tim Lancaster was sucked out of the windshield. While the pilot’s seat strap was slightly loose, the sudden decompression inside the cockpit initiated a pressure force through the hole in the windshield.
The pilot sustained several injuries due to the supposed impact on the flight controls, the front ceiling, and the windshield frame. Flight attendant Nigel Ogden recalled the horrifying scene by saying,
“Everything was being sucked out of the aircraft: even an oxygen bottle that had been bolted down went flying and nearly knocked my head off. I was holding on for grim death but I could feel myself being sucked out, too.”
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2 Quick reaction by the flight attendant
Grabbing the pilot by the waist
| Aircraft speed | 650 km/h |
| The duration the pilot was held in place | Approximately 25 minutes |
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Flight Attendant Ogden quickly reacted to the situation and jumped to grab the ankles of Pilot Lancaster as he blew out the windshield. According to Odgen,
“He had been sucked out of his seatbelt and all I could see were his legs. I jumped over the control column and grabbed him round his waist to avoid him going out completely.”
“I was still holding on to Tim but the pressure made him weigh the equivalent of 500 pounds [about 200 kilograms]. It was a good thing I’d had so much training at rugby tackles, but my arms were getting colder and colder and I could feel them being pulled out of their sockets.”
3 Cabin crew management
Roles were divided based on the situation
| Two cabin crew members | Aided in the cockpit |
| The other two | Prepared the cabin and passengers for emergency landing |
Minutes into the cockpit chaos, another cabin crew member entered the cockpit to offer help. The crew member, Simon Rogers, helped the situation by strapping himself to the seat while supporting Captain Tim’s legs. Odgen states,
“I couldn’t hold on any more, so [steward] Simon [Rogers] strapped himself into the third pilot’s seat and hooked Tim’s feet over the back of the captain’s seat and held on to his ankles.”
The other two cabin crew prepared the cabin and passengers for an emergency landing. The cabin crew ensured that all passengers, though horrified, followed directions and performed brace position upon landing.
4 Co-pilot’s actions
Regained control just in time
| Co-pilot Alastair Atchison | 39 years old at the time |
| Flying experience | 7,500 hours |
| Experience on BAC 1-11 | 1,100 hours |
Co-pilot Alastair Atchison promptly regained control of the aircraft despite the chaos. Atchison also declared an emergency and brought the aircraft to a safer flying altitude. Fortunately, co-pilot Atchison was still strapped in his seat when the decompression occurred.
The aircraft came to a safer altitude where passengers could breathe without the need for oxygen masks. Despite some flight controls being inaccessible due to the broken flight deck door, Atchison managed to bring the aircraft down.
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He performed a safe landing nearly 22 minutes after the decompression chaos had begun. All 87 passengers and crew, including pilot Tim Lancaster, survived the crash.
5 The Captain’s flying career
He returned to the cockpit
| Captain Tim Lancaster | 42 years old at the time |
| Flying experience | 11,000 hours |
| Experience on BAC 1-11 | 1,074 hours |
| Date of the incident | June 10th, 1990 |
| Returned to flying the same aircraft type | November 1990 |
| Took early retirement from BA | 2003 |
Captain Tim Lancaster suffered a coma during most of his time stuck outside the windshield. He suffered extreme frostbite in addition to several bruises. However, he was still alive when the paramedic teams rescued him at Southampton Airport.
Photo: Michael Derrer Fuchs | Shutterstock
Lancaster returned to flying just five months after the incident. He continued his flying career with British Airways, including on the BAE 1-11 aircraft. Lancaster took an early retirement due to continued post-traumatic issues and health conditions. He joined easyJet, where he flew for another five years. Lancaster retired from commercial piloting in 2008.
What are your thoughts on these facts surrounding the British Airways incident from 1990? Share your views in the comments section.
