In 1990, a routine British Airways flight turned into one of the most shocking survival stories in aviation history. Captain Tim Lancaster was commanding a BAC 1-11 on a morning flight from Birmingham to Málaga when, at roughly 17,000 feet, the cockpit windshield suddenly failed. Without warning, the window blew outward, creating an explosive decompression that ripped Lancaster from his seat and violently forced him halfway out of the aircraft.