A co-pilot of a Sichuan Airlines aircraft was almost sucked out of a shattered cockpit window when the plane was flying at an altitude of 30,000ft.

The co-pilot survived the incident with a few cuts on his face and a sprained wrist. A flight attendant also suffered an injury from the incident but all 119 passengers on-board remained unharmed.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

Flight captain Liu Chuanjian and his crew managed to make an emergency landing at Chengdu Shuangliu Airport in southern China, reported cnn.com.

“Chuanjian said that there was no sign before the windshield exploded, only a huge noise that appeared suddenly.”

At the time of the incident, the Airbus A319 aircraft was travelling from Chongqing, China, to Lhasa, Tibet.

China’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) official Jiang Wenxue was quoted by Xinhua as saying: “The situation was very critical. The windshield was blown off at a 10,000m high altitude.

“The aircraft was in a state of low pressure and a temperature was -30°C to -40°C.”

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

According to China News Service, Chuanjian said that there was no sign before the windshield exploded, only a huge noise that appeared suddenly.

Chuanjian further added: “When I looked at the other side, the co-pilot was partially blown out of the aircraft. Luckily, he had the belt buckled up.

“Many devices were malfunctioned and the plane was jolting strongly. It was very difficult to control.”

An investigation into the incident has already been launched.

Airport Technology Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Airport Technology Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Klayo’s talent and compliance platform tailored for airports has secured the Innovation Award in the Workforce Digitalization category . Learn how its competency gap analysis, integrated compliance hub and data-driven workforce planning are helping airports streamline operations, strengthen governance and engage employees.

Discover the Impact