Sum Ting Wong

[RPM 26,433]

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - The co-pilot of a Sichuan Airlines flight that was forced to make an emergency landing on Monday was “sucked halfway” out of the plane after a cockpit windshield blew out, media reported, citing the aircraft’s captain.

Liu Chuanjian, hailed a hero on social media after having to land the Airbus A319 manually, told the Chengdu Economic Daily his aircraft had just reached a cruising altitude of 32,000 feet when a deafening sound tore through the cockpit.

The cockpit experienced a sudden loss of pressure and drop in temperature and when he looked over, the cockpit’s right windshield was gone.

“There was no warning sign. Suddenly, the windshield just cracked and made a loud bang. The next thing I know, my co-pilot had been sucked halfway out of the window,” he was quoted as saying.

“Everything in the cockpit was floating in the air. Most of the equipment malfunctioned ... and I couldn’t hear the radio. The plane was shaking so hard I could not read the gauges.”

The co-pilot, who was wearing a seatbelt, was pulled back in. He suffered scratches and a sprained wrist, the Civil Aviation Administration of China said, adding that one other cabin crew member was also injured in the descent. None of the plane’s 119 passengers was injured.

The windshield shattered about half an hour after the plane had taken off, the Chengdu Economic Daily said. A separate report said the aircraft had accumulated 19,912 flight hours since entering service at Sichuan Airlines in July 2011.

CAAC also said that the windshield was part of the original aircraft and had no previously recorded faults.

[South Austin 52,765]

Ho Lee Fuk 

[Homercles 10,206]

I thought, unlike Boeing, that airbus windows were plug-type installed from the inside. If that’s true and there was no recent servicing, then that window had to completely fail in catastrophic ways.

 

Also the terrain there is such that they had to fly quite high for something like 8 minutes until they could descend fully in a depressurized bird. That was some good airmanship from Captain Fuk

[clapclapclap 9,000]

6 hours ago, RPM said:

“There was no warning sign. Suddenly, the windshield just cracked and made a loud bang. The next thing I know, my co-pilot had been sucked halfway out of the window,” he was quoted as saying.

Bang Din Out

[Wally Fairway 5,610]

So I'm starting to rethink my window seat preference. Seems like airplane windows are suddenly in the news.

[Beau Vine 55,034]

Quote

The co-pilot, who was wearing a seatbelt, was pulled back in.

This right here is why you're not supposed to write in passive voice.

Wouldn't knowing *WHO* pulled him back in be an interesting piece of info?

[Anastasis 23,520]

wtf with airline windows the last few weeks. aisle for life. literally. 

[thrillhammer 684]

wi tu lo

[clapclapclap 9,000]

2 hours ago, Beau Vine said:

This right here is why you're not supposed to write in passive voice.

Wouldn't knowing *WHO* pulled him back in be an interesting piece of info?

His emo support pony.

[Lat22 4,053]

So now a pilot becomes a hero for "manually" landing a plane?

[PHLaggie 110]

I always knew Sichuan Airlines sucks! 

Now we got confirmation.