captain lancaster british airways interview

But First Officer Atchison cannot focus on his captains dangling body, or the men who are clinging desperately to him, fighting against extreme forces. During a British Airways flight from Birmingham to Malaga, one of the aircrafts cabin windscreens broke and this caused Captain Timothy Lancaster to be sucked out of the window due to the sudden depressurization. Co-pilot Alastair Atchisonregained control of the plane, while extra crew members entered the cockpit and attempted to pull Lancaster back in, unsuccessfully. Meanwhile, cabin crew members had entered the cockpit to hold on to Captain Lancaster's body. I thought I was going to lose him, but he ended up bent in a U-shape around the windows, Nigel Ogden said in an interview. Cabin crew members need to intuitively know how to ensure the best possible customer journey and experience, presenting themselves well and meeting uniform requirements to be an ambassador for the British Airways brand and respect the honour that comes with being a flag-carrier airline. Flight 5390. His next objective is the most important one: find the closest airport. George Lopez Stand-up Netflix, Because of the velocity. You will also be asked to complete an online assessment, which ensures that you have the right functional maths and English skills that are needed to be successful. British Airways recruits what it describes as the best of British, looking for people who can embrace the timeless values, style and charm that Britain stands for around the world. COPYRIGHT UNSOLVED MYSTERIES & PARANORMAL ACTIVITIES, 2017-2018. (Photo / PA Images via Getty Images), The cockpit of the British Airways Bac 1-11 with two windows missing. The first officer replies back, Er negative sir the er captain is half sucked out of the airplane. Captain Lancaster has given many interviews about his experience, and his account is both terrifying and revealing of his character. Rundle contacts emergency services so they will be waiting for the plane when and if it lands. This took it from Germany to the UK, where it joined British Caledonian, as seen above. However, Nigel Odgen, the flight attendant, soon grabbed Lancaster's belt to secure it, while John Heward and Simon Rogers secured the loose objects. Lancaster was brought to Southampton General Hospital where, remarkably, his only injuries were bone fractures in his right arm and wrist, a broken left thumb, frostbite, bruising and shock. His first order of business is to get the plane back down to an altitude where he and his crew and passengers can breathe the air more easily. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Social media users have been left stunned after finding out about the incredible story of Captain Tim Lancaster - the British Airways pilot who got sucked Careers at British Airways are varied the obvious pilot and cabin crew roles have extensive on-the-ground support from roles like: Experienced pilots and aspiring cabin crew who want to work for British Airways will benefit from the 6.5 billion investment that is being made over the next five years into new aircraft, refurbished cabins for long-haul flights and the aim to trial fully autonomous robots for certain on-board tasks. After spending nearly 22 minutes exposed to winds of more than 600 kilometres per hour and temperatures close to -17 C, Captain Timothy Lancaster was treated and taken to a hospital alive. They were too small. To become a cabin crew member at BA, you need to live close to either Heathrow, Gatwick or London City, and hold a valid passport and unrestricted travel around the world. Lancaster, propelled by the sudden decompression, shot towards the window. 0. Photo: The interior of a preserved British Airways BAC 1-11. It will also get you used to working against the clock, as many tests are timed. The pressure on Alastair must have been tremendous everybodys life was in his hands. A two-time Oscar winner, De Ni A cool photo collection that shows what naughty ladies looked like in the 1950s. Captain Lancaster returned to the skies just five months after the incident, and also flew for easyJet before retiring in 2008. First Officer Atchison and flight attendants Susan Gibbins and Nigel Ogden were awarded the Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air for their heroism. © 2023 IFLScience. In episode 93 of Take to the Sky: the Air Disaster Podcast, we discuss the incredible story of British Airways Flight 5390, which experienced an explosive decompression in air on June 10, 1990, when the captains windscreen exploded after being improperly fitted with bolts of the incorrect size. After all, the bolts he took off had held the windscreen in place for four years. Always keeping an ear close to the ground, Matt's industry insights, analysis and news coverage is frequently relied upon by some of the biggest names in journalism. Despite the fact that he hadn't changed a windscreen in about two years, he decided to do it himself. Once you have completed this, the recruitment team will be in touch with an offer or with feedback if you didnt make it through. The incident unfolded on December 7, 2017, when For those who want to get involved in the aviation industry as cabin crew, pilots or ground staff, British Airways has long been at the top of the list of ideal jobs for many reasons. This was because the 1-11 did not have sufficient auxiliary oxygen supplies for its entire contingent of passengers and crew. With no way to pull him in, Atchison was forced to land with his pilot hanging out of the window and held by his ankles. As a result of these troubling findings, the accident report recommended sweeping reviews of quality assurance at British Airways, including whether it was appropriate for employees to self-certify their own work, whether their vital points list was incomplete, and other shortcomings ranging from job descriptions to engineer training to product standards. At the time of the incident, G-BJRT had been in service for a total of 19 years. The first stage of the application includes some eligibility questions as part of the application form with a CV. James is a published author with four pop-history and science books to his name. First Officer Alastair Atchison has not given interviews about his experience. Steward Nigel Ogden, who was working in the galley right behind the cockpit sees that the door to the cockpit has been blown onto the control panel and that there is a hole where the windscreen used to be. The service made an emergency landing in Chengdu, with investigators finding that the cause of the incident was moisture having damaged a seal. As it turned out, Rogers held on until Atchison was able to make a successful emergency landing at Southampton airport, on the south coast of England. Back in 1990, British Airways' Captain Tim Lancaster, nearly lost his life after disaster struck. Miraculously, the plane will land smoothly. 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. WebCustomer Service Representative interview process at British Airways Overall experience On a scale of 1-10 where 1 is Poor and 10 is Excellent, their rating is 5. Whichever role you go for, make sure that you know what it will entail, what type of person it is looking for and how you can demonstrate your capabilities and competencies. The very next thing he remembers is waking up in the ambulance, and then much later, in the hospital. Up there, thousands of feet above the earth, this first officer had to rely on only himself and the help Rundle could provide. He did a smashing job and were all very grateful to him that were still here 25 years down the road. Last week, Mr Atchison made his last flight as a professional pilot, going from Alicante to Manchester with budget airline Jet2.com. 3. Following this, there will be a simulator assessment so you can demonstrate your skills in flying and dealing with problems in-flight, which is led by a serving pilot. Today, Jet2, Ryanair, and TUI all ply this route year-round, with easyJet also doing so on a seasonal basis. In the last few days, you've probably seen a story going around the Internet of a pilot who was sucked out of a window. Perhaps you even remember it occurring at the time? On June 10, 1990, a British Airways flight took off around 7 a.m. from the U.K. to Mlaga, Spain, according to the Aviation Safety Network.On board were 81 passengers and 6 crew members, including the plane's captain Tim Lancaster, per an official report by the U.K. Department of Transport. His small errors slipped under the radar because inspectors would have had to observe him actually doing the work to see the problems. When it is all said and done, Captain Lancaster walked away from the ordeal with only a bone fracture, a broken wrist, bruises, frostbite, and shock. After few minutes, Ogden, still holding on to Lancaster, was by now developing frostbite and exhaustion, so chief steward John Heward and air steward Simon Rogers took over the task of holding on to the captain. And then we have Captain Tim Lancaster. Pilots must have superior flying skills, with the mindset and approach that means they deliver amazing service to customers and colleagues. Passengers were allowed to board the plane as normal, and after the pilots taxied away from the gate, the deicing process quickly got underway. Nigel Ogden, one of the crew members, noticed the situation and managed to grab Lancaster, who was being pressed against the fuselage due to the wind and speed, although he was starting to freeze due to the low temperatures. It turned out that the previous windshield had also been fitted with incorrect bolts, so when the maintenance manager on duty came to replace the screws, he simply did it in a similar way, without reference to the official maintenance documentation. Mr Lancaster, of Wantage, Oxfordshire, who retired from BA in 2003 and flew with easyJet until 2008, said the incident shaped air safety. U.S. law requires airlines to have contingency plans in place for lengthy tarmac delays, and in most cases, airlines are required to allow passengers the opportunity to deplane once the delay has hit a certain length. It was this recommendation that proved the most critical because it essentially ensured that any unsafe engineering habits developed over a period of time are noticed and rectified whenever they renew their license. But there is more from Atchison: Er flight attendant's holding on to him but er requestingrequesting emergency facilities for the Captain. Captain Tim Lancaster, a British Airways pilot, was sucked out of the cockpit of a plane flying at 23,00ft from Birmingham to Malaga, Spain. Specifically, the windscreen on Captain Lancaster's side explosively separated from the plane with a loud bang. But he brought that plane down perfectly.. 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. It was with the carrier for seven years before BA acquired the airline and its fleet in 1988. WebCaptain Timothy Lancaster was sucked out of the plane after a cockpit window broke. Astonishingly, the landing was successful and no injuries were sustained to any passengers. Let's explore the unbelievable tale of British Airways flight BA5390. Indeed, it had originally entered service with West Germany's Bavaria Fluggesellschaft in 1971, which was renamed Bavaria Germanair in 1977. Other prerequisites for cabin crew include: British Airways cabin crew are seen as ambassadors for the brand, which means that the uniform standards require staff to be well-groomed, with a conventional and professional finish. Mayday!' So instead of pulling 7D bolts out of the drawer, he selected 84 of the 8C type bolts by sight and touch. The sudden decompression jolted the plane, ripping the cockpit door and dragging the pilots body outward. Most terrifyingly, his eyes were wide open. Given he was rustier than the screws he took out, you might think he'd be extra careful to select the correct ones. Such incidents are rare, but one stands out as a particularly incredible story of survival. He continued working at British Airways until 2003, when he switched to easyJet until his retirement in 2008. No visible tattoos or piercings one pair of small earrings are allowed, but nothing else that can be seen when wearing the British Airways uniform. Worse, the steward holding the captain became tired and frostbitten, requiring an exchange with another crew member, and he slipped another15 to 20 centimeters (6 to 8 inches) out of the window in the handover. 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. Why did he do it? Mr Atchison was given the Polaris Award for exceptional airmanship and Mr Ogden was honoured with the Queens Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air. However, this disengaged the autopilot, forcing the plane to descend. The mechanic, however, found the bolts by comparing the oldbolts to new onesfound in the screw drawers. It was later discovered that the windscreen had only recently been fitted, but with bolts that were too small. But their efforts have paid off the plane is now back under the control of the first officer. 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