The new passengers boarded and the flight eventually took off at 3:15 PM. or redistributed. Vulovi underwent treatment in a Prague hospital until 12 March 1972, after which she was flown to Belgrade. The cause of death was not immediately known. Vesna Vulovic, a flight attendant who was the only one of 28 people to survive a jetliner blast over Czechoslovakia in 1972. [4] "I don't know what to say when people say I was lucky," she remarked. Juliane Koepcke, who survived an extreme fall and then an 11-day trek through the jungle. How She Stared Down Death: Except for surviving countless ass gropings during her time as a stewardess there was really nothing special about this lady. Belgrade. I felt for them. Vesna Vulovic, an air stewardess who survived the highest ever fall by a human being after her plane broke up at 33,000ft (10,000m), has died aged 66. Her turquoise uniform was covered in blood and her stiletto heels had been torn off by the force of the impact. YouTubeVesna Vulovi continued to fly until her death in 2016. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Flight attendant Vesna Vulovi set record for highest fall survived without a parachute, said to be 10,000 metres. Vesna Vulovic in her later years (via Twitter) According to another account, on this specific airliner, a terrorist cell known as Ustashe had planted a strong device. Vesna Vulovi (2008) The cause of Flight 367's explosion and subsequent crash has been subject to several conspiracy theories over the years, the most popular of which suggested that the plane was mistakenly shot down by Czechoslovak anti-air missiles at a much lower altitude of 800 metres (2,600 ft). On 26 january 1972 an explosion on JAT Flight 367 (Jugoslavenski Aerotransport) caused the plane to break apart. In 1985 Vulovi entered the Guinness Book of Records for the highest fall survived without a parachute. The cause of death was not immediately known. Blic, a Serbian daily newspaper, said that locksmiths discovered her body in her apartment after forcing open the door. They never reached the second stopover in Zagreb, Croatia. The tail landed in a heavily wooded and snow-blanketed part of a mountainside, which was thought to have cushioned the impact. "But if nationalist forces in this country prevail, my heart will burst.". Vesna Vulovic: The Flight Attendant Who Fell 6 Miles And Lived Vesna and her friends grew up in Yugoslavia listening to The Beatles so this was an extra special moment for her. Air safety investigators attributed the explosion to a briefcase bomb. "I was found with my head down and my colleague on top of me. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! The Serbian flight attendant holds the Guinness record for highest fall survived without a parachute. Vulovi's parents told her that she first learned of the crash about two weeks after it occurred. An instant national heroine, she went on to put her celebrity at the service of political causes, protesting Slobodan Milosevics rule in the 1990s and later campaigning for liberal forces in elections. According to Serbian state TV, she was found by her friends in her apartmen FILE-In this Friday, Feb. 15, 2008 file photo, Vesna Vulovic, an ex-air stewardess, and survivor of a fall from 10,000 meters when in 1972 her plane was blown up in mid-fight by a bomb, gestures as she gives an interview to the Associated Press in Belgrade, Serbia. Read about our approach to external linking. A bomb, which may . She had total amnesia from the hour preceding her fall until one month afterwards. But an investigation by two reporters in Prague in 2009 challenged that account. In 1972, Vesna Vulovic, a flight attendant, fell 33,000 feet in an aircraft explosion and survived. [4], Vulovi told reporters that she did not think of her fall every day, but admitted to struggling with survivor's guilt. The captain, Vulovi would later recall, spent 24 hours locked in his room, refusing to go out at all. Vesnas miraculous survival was attributed to her being pinned down by a food cart in the tail end of the fuselage (the aircrafts main body). Vesna Vulovi was found dead by her friends in her apartment in Belgrade, Serbian state television reported. Vulovic holds the Guinness World Record for highest fall without a parachute a miraculous 33,333-foot plunge to Earth. Her name was Vesna Vulovi and though even she didnt know it yet, she had just survived an epic fall of 33,330 feet in what is one of the strangest world records: surviving the highest fall without a parachute. I thought I was in Slovenia, as I had just visited Ljubljana the capital city before going to Copenhagen., In less than a year, she recovered well enough to walk, but with a limp. She was the sole survivor after an explosion tore through the baggage compartment of JAT Flight 367 on 26 January 1972, causing it to crash near Srbsk Kamenice, Czechoslovakia. Vesna Vulovic, flight attendant who survived highest ever fall from Unlike the other 27 passengers and crew, Vulovic survived, likely in part because the section of fuselage where she was trapped landed on a snowy, tree-covered hillside, the BBC reports. To her delight, it worked, and she was allowed into the flight attendant training program. Market data provided by Factset. Trees broke the fall of the fuselage section and snow on the hill cushioned its landing. Vulovi was rescued by a woodsman who followed her screams in the dark forest. Then, read about Charles Joughin, the baker on the Titanic who survived the frigid waters that night through interesting means. As others were believed to have been sucked out of the jet into subfreezing temperatures, Ms. Vulovic remained inside part of the shattered fuselage, wedged in by a food cart, as it plunged. "I saw all the passengers and crew deplane. Vesna Vulovic, stewardess who survived 30,000ft fall, dies https://t.co/JbHMTGdeuM. [4] "Whenever I think of the accident, I have a prevailing, grave feeling of guilt for surviving it and I cry Then I think maybe I should not have survived at all. English Wikipedia. No sufficient evidence against the official crash report exists for Vesna's record to be disqualified. Vesna Vulovic survived the highest ever fall without a parachute by a human being after her plane exploded on January 26, 1972 . I could go to London once a month'." The comments below have not been moderated. Vulovic was the only survivor of the January 26, 1972 bomb blast over the Czech town of Srbska Kamenice which killed 23 passengers and five crew. 2016 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. She had a fractured skull, two crushed vertebrae and a broken pelvis, ribs and legs. Woman Survived 33,333 Feet Fall From Airplane (Vesna Vulovic Guinness Vesna's physicians later determined that . The fall gained Vulovic a place in the Guinness Book of Records of 1985 for the highest fall survived without a parachute. She never regained any memory of the accident or of her rescue, she said, and she continued to fly as a passenger. Serbia's state TV said Saturday Vulovic was found dead by her friends in her apartment in Belgrade. How Far Did She Fall? The Amazing Story of Vesna Vulovi And the captain was locked in his room for 24 hours. Additionally, Vesnas physicians determined that her low blood pressure caused her to quickly pass out when the cabin depressurized, which prevented her heart from bursting upon impact. The world's highest stuff: notes, basketball shots, backflips and more! Vesna Vulovic was a stewardess back in the '70s working on a Serbian airline. Ms. Vulovic was working as a Yugoslav Airlines flight attendant on Jan. 26, 1972, when the DC-9 airliner she was aboard blew up high above the snowy . Play it now! Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Vulovic was the only survivor of the 26 January, 1972 bomb blast over the Czech town of Srbska Kamenice which killed 23 passengers and five crew. [10] No arrests were ever made. Thehorrors of Mariupol should remind us of a new danger to Sarajevo, Russians using Serbian loophole to avoid EU flights ban, Russia may pressure Serbia to undermine western Balkans, leaders warn, Iron Curtain by Vesna Goldsworthy review belonging and betrayal, Illegal extradition of Bahraini dissident from Serbia calls Interpols role into question. Vesna Vulovi recovering in the hospital. [21] Guinness World Records continues to list her as the record-holder for surviving the highest fall without a parachute. [1][2] She was discovered by villager Bruno Honke, who heard her screaming amid the wreckage. The Czech authorities concluded that explosives in a suitcase had detonated and tore the jet apart. Vulovi?, 22 years old at the time, was a flight attendant on board. [12], Following the crash, Vulovi spent days in a coma, having fractured her skull and suffered a cerebral hemorrhage. Although she passed away in December 2016 at the age of 66, Vesna Vulovi will live on forever as an anti-nationalist heroine. Katie Serena is a New York City-based writer and a staff writer at All That's Interesting. WHAT MAKES A GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS TITLE? She suffered a skull fracture and broke her legs. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. [6] She received the recognition at a London gala from musician Paul McCartney. "People always want to sit next to me on the plane," she said. Remembering Vesna Vulovi, flight attendant who survived 10,000 - CBC Air crash sole survivors", "Kako je Vesna Vulovi preivela avionsku nesreu nad ehoslovakom '72: udo nije bila prava re", "Woman Who Fell to Earth: Was Air Crash Survivor's Record Just Propaganda? Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. Vesna Vulovic, a Serbian woman who in 1972 survived a reported six-mile fall after the plane she was on exploded over Czechoslovakia, died last week at age 66, according to several media reports. Vesna Vulovic, Serbian stewardess who survived plane explosion & 10,000 meter . Vesna Vulovic, a Serbian woman who in 1972 survived a reported six-mile fall after the plane she was on exploded over Czechoslovakia, died last week at age 66, according to several media reports. [5] The explosion caused the aircraft to break apart over the Czechoslovak village of SrbskKamenice. Trapped in the planes tail cone, she plummeted to earth in sub-freezing temperatures and landed on a steep, heavily wooded slope near a village. imported from Wikimedia project. 1 Vesna Vulovic: The Stewardess Who Survived a terrorist attack at 33,000 feet. State TV in Vulovic's home country of Serbia said she was found dead in her apartment in Belgrade. Despite her willingness to resume work as a flight attendant, Jat Airways (JAT) gave her a desk job negotiating freight contracts, feeling her presence on flights would attract too much publicity. Air safety investigators attributed the explosion to a briefcase bomb. As for people who have described her as lucky, Vulovic said they are mistaken. Vesna Vulovic, stewardess who survived 33,000ft fall, dies Maybe it was a bad place., Vesna Vulovic, Flight Attendant Who Survived Jetliner Blast, Dies at 66, https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/28/world/europe/vesna-vulovic-died-flight-attendant-in-plunge.html. Vesna [] She was rushed to a hospital, where she fell into a coma for 10 days. Vesna Vulovi was 66. Vesna Vulovi: The Woman Who Fell From Heaven - Culture Trip The accident ruined their lives too.. "I initially stayed with my parents' friends in Newbury," she recalled, "but wanted to move to London. She joined JAT, the national flag carrier and dominant airline of Yugoslavia, in 1971. However, in 2009 two investigative journalists in Prague claimed the plane had probably been mistaken for an enemy aircraft and shot down by the Czechoslovakian air force, causing it to fall and break up at a much lower height than previously believed. Her cause of death was not immediately known. Vulovic's record fall gained her celebrity status in her home country, A Yugoslav Airlines DC-9 identical to the one blown up in 1972, Harry: I always felt different to rest of family, US-made cheese can be called 'gruyere' - court, AOC under investigation for Met Gala dress, Alex Murdaugh's legal troubles are far from over, Walkie Talkie architect Rafael Violy dies aged 78, Mbappe breaks PSG goal record in win over Nantes, Saving Private Ryan actor Tom Sizemore dies at 61, The children left behind in Cuba's exodus. According to investigators, Vulovic was trapped by a food cart in the plane's tail section as it plummeted to earth in freezing temperatures. At 1:30 PM on January 26, 1972, the crew met Flight 367 at the Copenhagen Airport and watched as the passengers and previous crew deplaned. Everybody thinks I am lucky, but they are mistaken. [19] Vulovi continued taking part in anti-government demonstrations throughout the 1990s. 2023 BBC. She continued for two more decades to fight against nationalism. On 23 December, locksmiths discovered her body in her apartment after forcing open the door. Honke, the man who found Vulovi alive after the crash, had a granddaughter born six weeks after her fall; she was named Vesna in Vulovi's honour. Miloevi was later tried at The Hague for crimes against humanity. The fuselage tumbled through pine branches and into a thick coating of snow, softening the impact and cushioning its descent down the hill, crash investigators said at the time. On January 1972, Vesna Vulovic, who was working as a flight attendant for Jugoslavenski Aerotransport, was . Regardless of the scenario, Vulovic survived the ordeal, despite suffering a crushed skull, snapped legs and three broken vertebrae. She was the sole survivor of the explosion of JAT Flight 367 near Srbska Kamenice, Czechoslovakia on . Belgrade New Cemetery. Do not sell or share my personal information. Guinness World Records Kids (opens in a new window), GWR Merchandise Store (opens in a new window), Corporate Social Responsibility activities & fundraising ideas, Community engagement & tourism marketing activities. On the 35th anniversary of the disaster, in 2007, Zdenko Kubik, a firefighter, recalled: I heard a sound like that of military jets landing. However, her cause of death is unknown at this time. "I am like a cat, I have had nine lives," she told the New York Times. The fuselage tumbled through pine branches and into a thick coating of snow, softening the impact and cushioning its descent down the hill, crash investigators said at the time. If I were lucky, I would never had this accident, and my mother and father would be alive, she said. Vesna Vulovic, was a flight attendant on Yugoslav Airlines DC-9 enroute from Stockholm to Belgrade. El avin sufri una explosin en su parte delantera que provoc que se partiese en dos y se precipitase desde una altura de 10.000 metros sobre una ladera nevada de Kamenice, en la actual . What makes a Guinness World Records title? "She looked so nice and had just been to London for the day," Vulovi recalled. [10] The Czech Civil Aviation Authority dismissed the journalists' claim, calling it a conspiracy theory. She was 66. Investigators believed that the fuselage, with Vulovi pinned inside, landed at an angle in a heavily wooded and snow-covered mountainside, which cushioned the impact. As fate would have it, Vesna was not actually scheduled to be working on Flight 367, as she revealed in a 2002 interview with Green Light. Everyone except Vesna, who survived a fall of 33,333 feet (10,160 metres; 6.31 miles). landed on a snowy, tree-covered hillside, claiming that documents showed the aircraft may have been mistakenly shot down. All 27 other passengers and crew aboard perished. The incredible story of Vesna Vulovi, a flight attendant who fell Ms. Vulovic was working as a Yugoslav Airlines flight attendant on Jan. 26, 1972, when the Douglas DC-9 airliner she was aboard blew up high. The spectacular survival story won Vulovic celebrity status in Serbia, where she channelled her fame into campaigning for political causes. When Miloevi and his Socialist Party of Serbia were ousted in the Bulldozer Revolution of October 2000, Vulovi was among several celebrities who took to the balcony of Belgrade's city hall to make victory addresses. She had wanted her old job back and disagreed with the airline that she was not healthy enough to resume it. "Life is so hard today. [3][4] Nevertheless, Vulovi said that she was excited to travel to Denmark because it was her first time visiting the country. Vulovic was 23 and working as a Yugoslav Airlines hostess on 26 January, 1972, when the Douglas DC-9 airliner she was aboard blew up high above the snowy mountain ranges of Czechoslovakia. Submit Ia jatuh dari pesawat setelah terjadinya sebuah ledakan di kompartemen bagasi JAT Penerbangan 367 . Vulovic entered the Guinness Book of Records in 1985 for the highest fall survived without a parachute.. THIRTY-SIX years ago, Vesna Vulovic plummeted 33,300 feet in temperatures of 60 degrees below zero after an explosion ripped apart the DC-9 Yugoslav Airlines plane on which she was working as a. [3][6], Air safety investigators attributed Vulovi's survival to her being trapped by a food cart in the DC-9's fuselage as it broke away from the rest of the aircraft and plummeted towards the ground. Vesna Vulovic, stewardess who survived jet crash in 1972 - CBS News Ms. Vulovic entered the Guinness Book of Records in 1985 for the highest fall survived without a parachute.. Vesna Vulovic, the woman who defied death after a 10,000 m - Firstpost [13], In the last years of her life, Vulovi lived on a pension of 300 per month in her dilapidated Belgrade apartment. Sole crash survivors: Children and crew stand out. First was Copenhagen in Denmark, which is where the secondary cabin crew - including Vesna - boarded the plane. The cause of death was not immediately known. If I were lucky I would never have had this accident and my mother and father would be alive. These injuries resulted in her being temporarily paralyzed from the waist down. Market data provided by Factset. [4] By the time she had reached her sixties, Vulovi's deteriorating health prevented her from taking part in annual commemorations at Srbsk Kamenice, which she had previously attended for many years. A brother appears to have been her only survivor. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Ms. Vulovic, who had been divorced, was living on a small pension, with three cats, at her death. Life After Death - Vesna Vulovic: Survivor's Guilt (Part Two) State TV in Vulovic's home country of. FacebookTwitterYouTubeInstagramLinkedInSnapchatPinterestTiktok, Registered Office: Ground Floor, The Rookery, 2 Dyott Street, London, WC1A 1DE, United Kingdom, Otto - Longest human tunnel travelled through by a skateboarding dog, Ashrita Furman - Most Guinness World Records titles held. All rights reserved. The fuselage tumbled through pine branches and into a thick coating of snow, softening the impact and cushioning its descent down the hill. Picture: AP . She had been working for the airline for only eight months when the accident occurred. [15] Within ten months of her fall, Vulovi had regained the ability to walk, but limped for the rest of her life, her spine permanently twisted. They concluded that the DC-9 was mistakenly shot down by the Czechoslovak Air Force at an altitude of only 800 meters, or about 2,625 feet. The Sun reports that the cause of death was not immediately known. [b] She also suffered two broken legs and three broken vertebrae, one of which was crushed completely. On the basis of her conversations with Honke, Vulovi disputed the assertion that she was discovered in the rear section of the DC-9, as claimed in some reports. Authorities confirmed the "miracle" woman was found dead in her Belgrade, Serbia, home. Serbia's state TV said Saturday. Filip Horvat for The International Herald Tribune. It was suspected that a bomb had been planted inside the jet during a stopover in Copenhagen. The cause of death was not known. She had no memory of the incident and had no qualms about flying in the aftermath of the crash. Woman Survived Plane Crash And Falling 33,333 Feet - UNILAD On January 1972, Vesna Vulovic, who was working as a flight attendant for Jugoslavenski Aerotransport, was… Continue reading Vesna Vulovic: Flight Attendant Who . With a history of low blood pressure, Vulovi knew it was unlikely shed pass the medical exam. She told the AP in an interview in 2008 that she could only recall greeting passengers before takeoff from the airport in Denmark - and then waking up in the hospital with her mother at her side. 0 references. Of the 28 passengers and crew, Vesna Vulovi was the only survivor. At 4:01 p.m., 46 minutes after take off, an explosion in the luggage compartment tore the McDonnell Douglas DC-9 aircraft into three pieces. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Vesna Vulovic was found dead by her friends in her apartment in Belgrade, according to Serbian state TV. She was trapped in the cone of the tail and landed on a slope after plunging 10,160m from the DC-9 aircraft. 1 reference. Serbian stewardess who survived jet crash in 1972 dies at 66 - Yahoo! News "If you can survive what I survived," she said, "you can survive anything. [1][2] Her father was a businessman and her mother was a fitness instructor. She remained an avid flyer and died in 2016 at the age of 66. YouTubeA young Vesna Vulovi in her flight attendant uniform. Trapped in the plane's tail cone, she plummeted to earth in sub-freezing temperatures and landed on a steep, heavily wooded slope near a village. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. It was suspected that a bomb was planted inside the jet during a stopover in Copenhagen, Denmark, but nothing was ever proven and no arrests were made.