**In 1990**, British Airways Flight 5390 turned into a nightmare when a cockpit windshield blew out at 17,000 feet, nearly killing Captain Tim Lancaster. The sudden decompression sucked him halfway out of the plane, leaving his legs caught inside.
**“I could see a body hanging out of the window,”** one passenger recalled. Flight attendant Nigel Ogden rushed in and held onto Lancaster’s legs for 20 minutes despite freezing winds and his own injuries. Co-pilot Alastair Atchison quickly descended the plane and prepared for an emergency landing.
Simon Rogers, another flight attendant, eventually relieved Ogden, and the crew managed to land safely in Southampton. Lancaster was rescued alive—bruised, frostbitten, and in shock, but alive. The crew’s bravery was hailed as extraordinary.
The aircraft, a **BAC 1-11**, was praised for its structural strength. Experts called the windshield failure a **“freak occurrence,”** noting the plane’s ability to stay stable under extreme stress.
This story, featured on the show *Mayday*, stands as one of aviation’s most incredible survival tales. Lancaster’s ordeal and the crew’s response showcase **“the strength of the human spirit”** and the reliability of modern aviation design in even the most unexpected disasters.
