A frightening experience for passengers on a Sichuan Airlines flight from Chongqing to Lhasa, as a cockpit window shattered mid-flight. The freak accident forced the aircraft to make an emergency landing in Chengdu. Now, video footage of the incident has gone viral online, with the two pilots being lauded for their heroics. Ma Ke has the story.

Screams, shouts, oxygen masks popping out, and luggage flying through the cabin. No, this is not a scene from Sully, but a real-life incident that left passengers and cabin crew of flight 3U8633 fearing for their lives. About 30 minutes after the Airbus A-319 took off, the cockpit windshield on the co-pilot side suddenly blew out, sucking co-pilot Xu Ruichen halfway out the window. A loss of pressure caused the aircraft to plunge and nosedive from 32-thousand feet.

PASSENGER FLIGHT 3U8633 "We heard a loud 'boom' and then the plane started to fall for about five, six seconds. It was a real scare. All the lights in the cabin went out. About two minutes later the flight attendants came and told us not to worry, and that the situation was under control."

Wind and cold air blew through the shattered window, damaging the instruments, radio, gauges and other equipment. Captain Liu Chuanjian was forced to land the plane using only visual references and what he could see outside.

LIU CHUANJIAN CAPTAIN, FLIGHT 3U8633 "First was the loss of pressure, it causes great damage to your ears and then it's hypothermia. You can't even move. Imagine you're driving at 200 kilometers per hour in a temperature of minus five degrees and you put your hand out of the window. That's how it felt, if not worse."

45 minutes after the windshield blew out, the plane landed in Chengdu at 7:46 in the morning. Most passengers were transferred to another flight to Lhasa, but 29 passengers were sent to hospital, one with a sprain and another with bruising. The co-pilot suffered a cut to his face and a sprained wrist, and a flight attendant also suffered minor injuries. The incident is similar to a 1990 British Airlines flight, when a windshield shattered forcing pilots to land from 17 thousand feet.

But that's only half of what the Chinese pilots had to endure, as their heroics came from a staggering 32 thousand feet in the sky. Liu said they were lucky the plane had not entered the mountainous area and that weather conditions were favourable. The two pilots said their previous experience played a rather vital role in landing the aircraft. Liu is an air-force veteran who's been flying for over 20 years. He has flown the same route from Chongqing to Lhasa more than 100 times since joining Sichuan Airlines.

Many passengers posted their experiences online, and thanked the two pilots for saving their lives. The cause of the incident remains under investigation. MA KE, CGTN.