Co-pilot sucked half-away out of cockpit, flight lands safely

A Sichuan Airlines co-pilot was "sucked halfway out" of the aircraft's cockpit at 32,000 feet, but the flight managed to make an emergency landing at Shuangliu International Airport in Chengdu on Monday, according to several media reports.

Captain Liu Chuanjian is being hailed as a hero on Chinese social media after landing the flight manually.

"There was no sign before the windshield burst. Just a huge noise," Captain Liu was quoted by the state-run China News Service.

"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 malfunctioning and the plane was jolting strongly. It was very difficult to control," he added.

The plane was flying from Chongqing to Lhasa.

None of the 119 passengers, on the plane was injured.

Sichuan Airlines based in Chengdu, mainly operates domestic flights. It also has international routes to Canada, Japan and the Czech Republic.