NATION : Passengers Rescue Man as Jet Window Pops Out at 14,000 Feet
A window of a commuter jet with 18 people aboard blew out at 14,000 feet, dragging a man from his seat as other passengers clung to him and forcing the pilot to make a quick descent and emergency landing, a Horizon Airline spokesperson said today.
The man, identified as Gayle Sears of Portland, suffered minor cuts and bruises and was treated for possible shock before his release from Highline Community Hospital near Sea-Tac Airport, said spokesperson Nancy Hamilton.
Although Sears was buckled in his seat in the second row on the right side of the plane, the sudden decompression dragged him toward the window as other passengers grabbed him, passengers told officials.
Officials said the window blew out completely and cleanly as the Fairchild Metro 3 jet passed over Olympia on a flight from Portland, Ore., to Seattle.
The pilot completed the emergency landing without further incident and the other passengers disembarked normally and continued on to their destinations, Hamilton said.
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