A recreation of the incident.
On June 10, 1990, British Airways Flight 5390, a routine flight from Birmingham to Málaga, became a life-or-death situation when the captain, Tim Lancaster, was almost sucked out of the cockpit at 17,000 feet. The events that followed truly showed the courage, quick thinking, and professionalism of the flight crew, as well as their perseverance. This is a detailed account of one of the most incredible survival stories in aviation history.
A Normal Flight Turns Dangerous
Flight 5390 departed from Birmingham International Airport at 6:10 AM. The flight was routine, and conditions were pretty favorable for flying. The aircraft, a British Airways BAC 1-11, was being flown by Captain Tim Lancaster, a highly experienced pilot with over 10,000 hours of flying time. His co-pilot, Alastair Atchison, had significant experience in the cockpit as well. After takeoff, the flight went on smoothly as they climbed to an altitude of 17,000 feet.
Then, around 20 minutes into the flight, disaster struck…
The Windshield Explosion and Decompression
A flight attendant pulling Lancaster’s leg to prevent him from getting completely sucked out (a recreation—not real).
Without warning, the left cockpit windshield exploded. The decompression was immediate and violent, causing a sudden loss of cabin pressure. The rapid depressurization created a vacuum in the cockpit, and the huge force threw Captain Lancaster forward. He was sucked toward the broken window, with his body being nearly pulled out of the plane. His seatbelt was the only thing that kept him inside.
At this point, Lancaster was hanging out of the cockpit, his head and upper body exposed to the outside. His legs remained trapped inside, wedged under the control panel. The wind outside was blowing at a speed of around 200 mph (320 km/h), and the temperature at that altitude was well below freezing. Lancaster's face was pressed against the side of the fuselage, and his arms were flailing in the extreme conditions. Surprisingly, despite the incredible danger, he remained alive.
Inside the cockpit, Atchison was faced with the immediate task of controlling the aircraft. The decompression had created quite a bit of chaos: the windshield was gone, the cockpit was filled with debris, and the plane was shaking violently. But Atchison put on his oxygen mask, took control, and looked at the situation at hand. He knew that descending to a lower altitude would be critical to stabilizing the aircraft and ensuring the crew could breathe without the help of oxygen masks.
The Co-Pilot’s Quick Thinking
Atchison’s training and composure under pressure were very important in this moment. The cockpit was in disarray, and the primary concern was stabilizing the aircraft. He immediately began a rapid descent to a lower altitude where the air pressure was more manageable, and the oxygen masks would no longer be necessary. Atchison then contacted air traffic control, declaring an emergency and requesting clearance for an immediate landing at Southampton Airport, which was the closest major airport.
The descent was rough, and Atchison had to rely on his instruments to guide the aircraft. He was unable to see the outside clearly due to the damage to the cockpit, but he kept a firm grip on the situation. Meanwhile, Lancaster was still hanging outside the plane, his life depending on the ability of his co-pilot to land the plane safely.
Managing the Passengers
While Atchison was focused on the flight, the cabin crew was also working to manage the situation in the cabin. The flight attendants immediately responded to the emergency, helping passengers secure their seatbelts and making sure everyone was as safe as possible. Many passengers were likely unaware of the severity of the situation, but the crew’s calm demeanor helped to prevent panic.
Despite the terrifying nature of the event, the flight attendants kept the passengers informed and reassured them, providing them with oxygen masks as needed. They also worked to ensure that the cabin remained as stable as possible given the pressure fluctuations.
The Emergency Landing
As Flight 5390 descended rapidly, it became clear that the landing would be hard. Atchison had to maintain control of the aircraft despite the loss of the cockpit’s structural integrity and the extreme turbulence. He worked with air traffic control to find the quickest, safest route to Southampton. Fortunately, Southampton was only about 40 miles away, so the emergency landing was within reach.
Atchison’s skillful flying, combined with the quick actions of the cabin crew, ensured that the plane arrived in one piece. As the aircraft made its final approach to Southampton, emergency services were standing by on the runway.. The landing was rough but successful. Despite the severity of the decompression, the plane touched down safely without any further major damage.
A Miraculous Rescue
Tim Lancaster, the crew, and others at the hospital.
Once on the ground, emergency personnel rushed to the plane to assist Captain Lancaster. His body was still partially outside the plane, and the rescue team had to act quickly. They pulled him back into the cockpit, and paramedics immediately began to treat him. Lancaster was unconscious but alive, though severely injured. His face and hands had suffered frostbite due to the extreme temperatures at altitude, and his body had received serious trauma from the violent decompression.
He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors were amazed at his survival. His survival was attributed to the fact that his seatbelt had kept him from being completely ejected from the plane and that the flight crew had acted quickly to control the aircraft and land safely.
Investigating the Cause
An investigation into the incident revealed that the cause of the decompression was a maintenance failure. The windshield had been improperly secured during a previous maintenance check. The bolts used to fasten the windshield were the wrong size, and they were not properly tightened. Over time, this led to the failure of the windshield during the flight.
This oversight was a significant factor in the disaster, and it led to changes in airline maintenance protocols. British Airways, along with other airlines, strengthened their maintenance and inspection procedures to ensure that such a failure would not occur again. The incident also prompted a wider review of airline safety standards, particularly regarding the integrity of aircraft windows.