When a British Airways Captain got sucked out of a BAC ...

British Airways Flight 5390 was a flight from Birmingham Airport in England for Málaga Airport in Spain. On Jun. 10, 1990, the BAC One-Eleven 528FL suffered ... LogIn SignUp TheAviationGeekClub LogIn SignUp TheAviationGeekClub Categories AircraftCarriersAirshowsAviationHistoryAviationHumorBooksCivilAviationColdWarEraDronesF-14TomcatHelicoptersLosses/AviationSafetyMiGKillersMilitaryAviationSpaceSR-71BlackbirdSR-71TopSpeedU.S.NavyWarbirdsWeaponsYearlySummary Aboutus PartnersPerks AdvertiseWithUs Homepage CivilAviationWhenaBritishAirwaysCaptaingotsuckedoutofaBACOne-Elevenaflightattendantgrabbedhislegsandavoidedhimgoingoutcompletely CivilAviation LossesandAviationSafety WhenaBritishAirwaysCaptaingotsuckedoutofaBACOne-Elevenaflightattendantgrabbedhislegsandavoidedhimgoingoutcompletely ByDarioLeone Jul212022 Sharethisarticle Withthecaptainpinnedagainstthewindowframefortwentyminutes,thefirstofficerlandedatSouthamptonAirport. BritishAirwaysFlight5390wasaflightfromBirminghamAirportinEnglandforMálagaAirportinSpain.OnJun.10,1990,theBACOne-Eleven528FLsufferedexplosivedecompressionresultinginnolossoflife.WiththeaircraftflyingoverDidcot,Oxfordshire,animproperlyinstalledwindscreenpanelseparatedfromitsframe,causingtheplane’scaptaintobeblownpartiallyoutoftheaircraft.Withthecaptainpinnedagainstthewindowframefortwentyminutes,thefirstofficerlandedatSouthamptonAirport. ‘OnJun.10,1990,thewindscreenblewoutinfrontofthecaptainofBritishAirwaysFlight5390shortlyaftertakeofffromBirmingham,England,’GeorgeSmith,anaviationexpert,saysonQuora.‘ThechangeinpressuresuckedCaptainTimLancaster(age42)outoftheaircraft,buthislegsweregrabbedbyflightattendantNigelOgden.Withoutsuchheroics,Lancasterwouldhavefallentohisdeathorbeensuckedintotheplane’sengine.’ NigelOgdenrecallsinanarticleappearedonTheSundayMorningHerald; ‘HehadbeensuckedoutofhisseatbeltandallIcouldseewerehislegs.Ijumpedoverthecontrolcolumnandgrabbedhimroundhiswaisttoavoidhimgoingoutcompletely. ‘Everythingwasbeingsuckedoutoftheaircraft:evenanoxygenbottlethathadbeenbolteddownwentflyingandnearlyknockedmyheadoff.IwasholdingonforgrimdeathbutIcouldfeelmyselfbeingsuckedout,too.[Steward]John[Heward]rushedinbehindmeandsawmedisappearing,sohegrabbedmytrouserbelttostopmeslippingfurther,thenwrappedthecaptain’sshoulderstraparoundme.Luckily,Alistair[Atchison],theco-pilot,wasstillwearinghissafetyharnessfromtake-off,otherwisehewouldhavegone,too.’ Lancasterwasexposedtotheequivalentof345mphwindsand1.5F(-17C)temperatures. Ogdencontinues; ‘IwasstillholdingontoTimbutthepressuremadehimweightheequivalentof500pounds[about200kilograms].ItwasagoodthingI’dhadsomuchtrainingatrugbytackles,butmyarmsweregettingcolderandcolderandIcouldfeelthembeingpulledoutoftheirsockets. ‘Icouldn’tholdonanymore,so[steward]Simon[Rogers]strappedhimselfintothethirdpilot’sseatandhookedTim’sfeetoverthebackofthecaptain’sseatandheldontohisankles.Oneoftheotherssaid:“We’regoingtohavetolethimgo.”Isaid:“I’llneverdothat.”IknewIwouldn’tbeabletofacehisfamily,handingthemamatchboxandsaying:“Thisiswhatisleftofyourhusband.”Ifwe’dletgoofhisbody,itmighthavegotjammedinawingortheengines. ‘IleftSimonhangingontoTimandstaggeredbackintothemaincabin.Foramoment,Ijustsattotallyexhaustedinajumpseat,myheadinmyhands.’ Atthesametime,Atchisonputonhisoxygenmaskandmanagedtolandtheplane22minuteslater.Everyonesurvived,includingLancaster,81passengersandfourcrew. Ogdenconcludes; ‘TheparamedicshadTiminthecockpitonastretcherandIwentintoseehim. ‘Hewaslyingthere,coveredinblood,buttomyamazementIheardhimsay:“Iwanttoeat.”Ijustexclaimed:“Typicalbloodypilot.”Luckily,he’dbeeninacomathroughouttheordeal,hisbodyhadjustshutdown.Iwentoutontothefrontsteps,andshoutedattheothers“He’salive!”andthenIcriedmyeyesout.’ Lancasterhadfrostbitefromexposuretotheextremecoldandseveralfractures.Ogdenalsosufferedfrostbiteandhadadislocatedshoulder. WithinfivemonthsLancasterwasflyingagainandhebecameapilotforeasyJet. Ogdenreturnedtoworkafterabreakbutsufferedpost-traumaticstressandtookearlyretirementin2001onthegroundsofillhealth.HethenbecameanightwatchmanataSalvationArmyhospital. In1992,areportwaspublishedshowingthataBAengineer,workingunderpressure,hadfittedanewwindscreenwithboltsthatweretoosmall. 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