That initial explosive decompression, which lasted between 1.13 and 1.46 seconds, caused condensation mist and swirling winds to rapidly fill the flight deck, and left Lancaster suspended by his legs while airflow outside the airplane pinned his torso and head against the front of the airplane. Subsequent investigations determined that when the windshield was installed 27 hours before the flight, 84 of the bolts used had a diameter of 0.026 inches, just over half a millimeter. Atchison knows they have no time to waste South Hampton it is. Given he was rustier than the screws he took out, you might think he'd be extra careful to select the correct ones. James is a published author with four pop-history and science books to his name. The amazing photos of the pilot hanging out of the window are from a re-enactment. The landing took place 35 minutes after the flight's initial departure from Birmingham. But his legs and feet are pressed into the control column, pushing it all the way forward this is what has switched off the autopilot and put the plane into a sudden dive. Everyone knew what they had just done was amazing. He is transferred to their control center and to the voice of zone controller Chris Rundle. Photo: The aircraft joined fellow German airline Hapag-Lloyd Flug in 1979, before moving on in 1981. It was a beautiful morning and I was up early because I was working on the British Airways 7.30am flight from Birmingham to Malaga in Spain. It is a flawless landing. They could overshoot the runway. The force of the decompression pulled the captain partially out of the airplane, pinning him against the outer fuselage while crew members held onto his legs for twenty minutes as First Officer Alastair Atchison heroically and safely landed the plane. Air Traffic Control directed the flight to Southampton Airport. However, if he had read the manual, he would have known that the windscreen was normally secured with 8D bolts, which had the same diameter but were about a quarter of a centimeter longer. On June 10, 1990, British Airways Flight 5390 took off from Birmingham, England and headed towards Malaga, Spain. There are many roles available on the ground for Corporate and Graduate careers, including: The specific prerequisites will depend on the role that you are applying for, of course. Fortunately, his knees became stuck on the console. This last thought was a scary reality: in addition to their own onboard emergency, Atchison must avoid a collision with other planes that may be in his path. This underlines the destination's nationwide popularity among travelers from all over the UK. After a smooth take off, Lancaster unbuckled his seatbelt and switched on the autopilot. British Airways has a strict dress code for pilots and cabin crew and this should inform you whenever you are face-to-face with the recruitment team. Now for the disappointing bit. Flight 5390 was being operated by one of the many short-haul aircraft in the British Airways fleet: a stretched BAC (short for British Aircraft Corporation for the manufacturer) one-eleven 500 series aircraft, which was a narrow-bodied passenger jet with rear-mounted Rolls Royce engines. Its solid, no frills film-making, but thats entirely appropriate given the sobering stories recounted by surviving members of Bomber Command, now in their 90s. What Is Vabbing And Does It Really Work? Then as planned, Flight 5390 takes off normally at 8:20 AM local time. However, because of the way in which these new bolts had been secured incorrectly, the pressure at 17,000 feet (or 5,181 meters) was too much for these slipped bolts to hold together. The aircraft is now racing downwards at a heart stopping speed of over 400 mph (or 643 kph). But Flight 5390 was not supposed to land at South Hampton and all those navigational maps were literally blown out of the window. In just two-and-a-half heart-racing minutes, First Officer Atchison gets the plane to 11,000 feet (or 3,352 meters) where there is breathable air and where he can reengage the autopilot. The other pilot was forced to attempt a landing while being distracted by the gush of air entering the cockpit as well ashis colleague being almost shot out of the window. Its a poignant image; but so too is the estimate of 25,000 lives lost in the bombing of Dresden, and the stain left on the consciences of the men who dropped the bombs. They feared that, if let go, his body might damage the wings or even be ingested into the engines, potentially causing further danger. Subsequent investigations revealed that the windshield rupture occurred because of some bolts that werethinner and smaller than usually were used,which had to withstand the pressure difference between the cabin and the exterior. The bloody windscreen on the BAC-111 that was British Airways Flight 5390. The film tells the story of this In 1990, the cockpit window of a plane feII off and one of the pilots named Timothy Lancaster got sucked out. On June 20, 1991, one of the most unusual incidents in the history of aviation took place. After removing all 90 bolts that held the windscreen to the outer fuselage, he saw that the old bolts were 7Ds. But is it true? For more stories like this,check our news page.

On June 10, 1990, one of the most incredible events in commercial aviation took place. Explore the incredible world of strange, mysterious things, and all sorts of oddities.. 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Meanwhile, co-pilot Alastair Atchison alerted the control tower about what had happened andproceeded to make an emergency landing. Lancaster, propelled by the sudden decompression, shot towards the window. Talk about your educational background and how that has prepared you for success on the British Airways engineering team. Screenshot of a reconstruction of the event carried out by Discovery. However, he did not fly off thanks to his legs still tucked under the controls. Nigel rushes into the cockpit and straddles the captains seat, putting one foot in the foot well on the floor and his other foot alongside the captains seat. He requests permission to land at Gatwick, an airport with which Atchison is familiar, but South Hampton, an airport into which he has never flown, is closer. However, he somehow survived the tremendous ordeal, with just a handful of injuries to show for it. British Airways is rightly proud of its history and heritage, but it is also a forward-facing company that is investing in the future which means that not only is this an exciting time to get onboard, but there is a lot of information available that you can use for research. To achieve this urgent goal, First Officer Atchison chooses to stay in the dive, now under his control, for two reasons: one, at this rate of decent, they will reach breathable air faster, and two, they will be flying at an altitude where there is less air traffic. He quickly grabbed hold of Mr Lancaster, whose legs had snagged on the controls, while first officer Alastair Atchinson desperately fought to steer the aircraft as it began to nosedive. Inside the craft, the autopilot had disengaged, which meant they were now descending rapidly, and the flight deck door had been blown inwards onto the control panel, causing the craft to accelerate as it descended. The difference in pressure produced an uncontrolled decompression that sucked Captain Lancaster out and, miraculously, left him stuck with his torso out, being held only by his legs.

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