As I was returning from a a job in Norway (it was 1969), I went to the airport to catch the SAS caravel flight to London. As I waited in the queue a man came up and offered me a cigar in a tube. I took it and said thank you as he had been talking to me for a while. I did not smoke so I put it in my top coat pocket.
On the airliner, over the North Sea I offered my cigar to the man next to me and he took it as he was a smoker.
He was puffing away and then Bang! He had gone and there was a hole in the side of the plane.
All the oxygen masks came down and there was an announcement that the cabin was depressurised.
The plane went into a spinning dive and as I clung on I found some broken pipes under my seat. I tied it with a handkerchief and the plane was flying again.
There was an announcement that the pilot had regained control of the aircraft, but only I knew why. I pointed out the handkerchief. And the announcement went on - "The Pilot will bring the aircraft to a lower level - where you can breath".
The steward came to me and gave me a pill, saying that this was to wake me up as the air-sick pill was making me sleepy "You will die awake" he said.
I found the parachute under my seat and was given help putting it on. The stewardess opened the rear door and as I was ready I approached the exit to jump out. Some of the other passengers were also putting on life jackets and parachutes, but the steward announced "It will be safer if the airliner comes down in the sea".
The plane lurched into a dive and I and a stewardess were thrown out. I was able to catch her immediately and she tried to take my parachute harness. The parachute opened and the jerk threw her down to hanging on to my ankles.
We dropped for a while but then it became painful and I automatically and instinctively kicked her away!
She dropped away and appeared to wave.
As the 'chute turned I saw the plane was diving over the horizon trailing smoke. I hit the water and the dingy inflated. The girl was in the water near me and so I pushed her unconscious body into the little boat and climbed in myself.
I found food and water in the dingy and the next day I found a string that released a radio signal. I could see search aircraft a long way off on the horizon, but it was not until the next day that I saw a nimrod near me, I fired a flare from the sort of flare pistol and then a helicopter came and lowered a man down on a line. He gave a signal, I put up a "2" in fingers then gave the thumbs down and pointed inside.
I passed her limp and naked body to the rescuer he took her away. He then came and collected me.
I spend a week in hospital before I accepted that my friend was dead and returned to work. I was given the only civilian membership of the caterpillar club. Unfortunately someone whipped my badge.
Later the sister of the dead stewardess came to me home, she lives near me, and offered me a free ticket for life anywhere in the world on SAS. I declined. I could not face flying again.
Chris.
24/12/2011