Bad things happen!
But not every story that starts off on the wrong foot ends poorly.
Here’s a story so gripping, so thrilling that you may very well suffer from motion sickness just reading it!
Buckle up, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.
One fateful day years ago, Captain Tim Lancaster and Copilot Alastair Atcheson took the cockpit on a flight from Birmingham to Málaga, Spain.
What a beautiful place!
If only things went according to plan.
Everything was going smoothly… for the first 13 minutes of the flight.
Flight steward Nigel Ogden recalls that unbelievable day.
“It was 13 minutes after take-off and we had just reached 17,300 feet, 5000 feet beneath our assigned altitude. I went onto the flight deck and asked if they’d like tea…”
But it wasn’t all clear skies…
Then, things took an unexpected turn for the worst!
Thoughts of tea were quickly obliterated.
“I was just stepping out, with my hand on the door handle, when there was an enormous explosion and the door was blown out of my hands. I thought, ‘My God. It’s a bomb.'”
No, not a bomb, but something almost as shocking!
The window blew off!
The cockpit quickly turned into a whirlwind of death!
The ensuing scene is heartbreaking!
Captain Lancaster was forced from the cockpit out of the plane!
Fortunately, his feet got caught on the way out!
“His legs were jammed forward, disconnecting the autopilot, and the flight door was resting on the controls, sending the plane hurtling down at nearly 650kmh through some of the most congested skies in the world.”
Nigel sprung into action, doing everything he could to hold onto the captain!
At various moments, the crew thought they’d have to let go of Captain Lancaster, but sheer willpower kept them hoping.
But wait… it gets worse. Who was going to fly the plane?
“All pilot training is done on the basis of two pilots, one to fly and one doing the emergency drill, but Alistair was alone, with a crew he didn’t know and relying on memory, because all the manuals and charts had blown away.”
Well, that’s not good.
The copilot was given less than ideal landing circumstances.
Could things get even worse?
“He asked for a runway of 2500 metres because he was worried that the plane was so heavy with fuel, a tyre would burst or it would go off the runway, but all they could offer was 1800 metres.”
But Alistair isn’t just a trained professional.
He’s a master of his profession!
“In spite of everything, Alistair did the most amazing landing, what we call a greaser – completely smooth and stopping the aircraft only three-quarters of the way down the runway.”
Wow, my heart is racing!
What about Captain Lancaster?
Well, he made it out alive. Within a few minutes, they pulled him back into the cockpit.
“He was lying there, covered in blood, but to my amazement I heard him say: ‘I want to eat.” I just exclaimed: ‘Typical bloody pilot.'”
Wow, what a trooper!
I guess miracles do happen!
So what caused the window malfunction? Turns out, the window was bolted shut with undersized screws!
Bad engineering can be the difference between life and death!
This time, death was closely avoided.
And for the most part, the heroes involved were left unscathed considering how dire the situation.
Captain Lancaster suffered frostbite and multiple fractures across his body.
Nigel suffered a dislocated shoulder and facial frostbite.
That sounds unpleasant, but it could be way worse!
Have you ever had a near-death experience? What happened?
If so, I’m glad you’re okay!
What did you think of Captain Lancaster’s unforgettable bout with death?
I wonder what he was thinking during the event. I can’t imagine!
Pilots definitely don’t get the credit they deserve!
The next time you fly, definitely thank your pilots and stewards for their skills and hospitality!
Hey, they took you across the world in a flying metallic pod, safe and sound!
It’s underappreciated!
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