Late on Friday, June 8, the maintenance manager in charge at Birmingham International Airporthad decided to tackle the job during his overnight shift so that the aircraft would be ready for a wash on the Saturday morning. Mlaga Airport in southern Spain has consistently seen high numbers of UK tourists for several decades. His debut 33.5-hour flight began in New York on May 20th, 1927. Commercial jets would fly at around 30,000 feet (8500 meters), but BAC 111500 was a smaller aircraft, it cruised at an altitude of 27,000 feet (8000 meters). Just 11 bolts were still attached to the windscreen, while 18 were found loose nearby. As the only dedicated flyer in the area, Noel set many precedents and forever changed the way locals in this sparsely populated but huge state traveled. Alastair Atchison was the co-pilot with 7,500 flight hours at the age of 39. alastair atchison interview alastair atchison interview. The following night, just hours before BA5390's disastrous journey, the same maintenance manager carried out a windscreen change on another BAC 1-11. Alistair atchison hi-res stock photography and images - Alamy The crew knew at once that something had gone horribly wrong: 'explosive decompression'. Picture Source. Within 148 seconds, Atchison managed to bring the plane back level at 11,000 feet. This came about after the missing window, and many of its 90 bolts, were located in Cholsey, Oxfordshire. Chuck went on to break the record again six years later when he reached the incredible speed of 1,650 mph. It remains a matter of debate who exactly did it but a Canadian pilot is often credited for eliminating the Baron which may have been a morale-boosting tactic. Alastair Atchison po . British Airways are well known for taking good care of their aircraft. Avid Writer with invaluable knowledge of Humanity! He was not exactly viewed as an exceptional flyer - instead, he made the big time thanks to his extraordinary marksmanship. "Alastair is a smashing chap," said Mr Lancaster, 66, now a grandad-of-five. The plane itself was brought into the British Airways fleet in 1988 and had been serviced accordingly. The Aircraft was a BAC 1-11. Meanwhile,Simon Rogers and Sue Gibbins, who made up the rest of the cabin crew, tried to calm the passengers, urging everyone to re-fasten their seatbelts and take the emergency brace positions. And I turned my body round and I was looking back along the top of the aircraft," he said. "His shirt had been pulled off his back and his body was bent upwards, doubled over round the top of the aircraft. Charles personality was as bold as his airborne aerobics, but his credibility suffered when he spoke out against the war. It's worth remembering, though, that he also broke many flying speed records and played an important role in advancing aircraft technologies. Needless to say, these three decades never had another flight quite like the incredible survival story of flight BA5390. But they also clogged up both engines, and the plane lost all power. If Ogden didnt catch the Captain in time,there was a high chance for the Captain to fly right into the engine of the Jet, destroying the engine and causing an explosion that would send the aircraft towards a certain nose-dive crash. As a co-pilot, Alastair Atchison may not be the most famous name on this list. Published by at 19. November 2021. And today, as Mr Atchison begins his retirement, tributes were paid to him by the man whose life he saved two-and-ahalf decades ago. Explosive decompressions can cause a serious threat to life onboard an aircraft. We told you, the Chinese didn't give a single fuck. Flight attendant Nigel Ogden, who had just offered the pilots a cup of tea, was the first to see the catastrophe unfolding inside the cockpit.