[catbertz]

I saw footage of the hole, and while big enough for a person to possibly fit through, the hole was obstructed by overhead compartments and whatnot. I’m no expert, so I can’t answer whether people can be sucked out of a man-sized hole. I remember that event where the whole top of a plane ripped off and people were swept away, but that’s an extreme example.

[library user]

I’m no expert, so I can’t answer whether people can be sucked out of a man-sized hole.

I just Tweeted this to Barney Frank to get his opinion. /sarc

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

They lost a flight attendant from the Aloha Airlines flight in the 1980s, so the answer is “yes”, people can be sucked out.

There is also a case of a pilot being sucked out when a cockpit window failed and the co-pilot had to fly solo (saw it on the show Air Emergency, don’t remember the year or airline). The pilot lost consciousness nearly instantly. I hope for his sake he never woke up.

[SunTzuWu]

I remember that event where the whole top of a plane ripped off and people were swept away, but that’s an extreme example.

That was Aloha Airlines and one stewardess was sucked out because she wasn't in a seat. ALL the passengers survived even though the aircraft looked like a convertible with the top down. The idea that you will be sucked out of the hole or that the aircraft goes into an unrecoverable dive is an invention of Hollywood.