On January 26, 1972, 22-year-old Vesna Vulović, a flight attendant for JAT Airways, boarded a routine flight from Stockholm to Belgrade. She had no idea that within hours, she would fall 33,000 feet from the sky—without a parachute—and survive, setting a world record for the highest fall without a parachute.
A Mysterious Mid-Air Explosion
JAT Flight 367 was flying over Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic) when, suddenly, an explosion ripped through the aircraft. The plane broke apart in mid-air. As debris scattered and passengers were thrown into the freezing atmosphere, Vesna, who had been in the rear of the plane, found herself plummeting toward the earth.
The Miracle Landing
While all 27 other passengers and crew members perished, Vesna's fall was miraculously broken by a combination of factors. She landed in a heavily forested area, and part of the aircraft's fuselage cushioned her impact. Additionally, she was pinned by a food cart, which may have prevented her body from breaking apart due to the extreme forces of the fall.
When rescuers found her, they could hardly believe she was still alive. She had suffered a fractured skull, broken legs, broken ribs, and a crushed vertebra that temporarily left her paralyzed. But against all odds, she survived.
Astonishing Recovery and Life After the Fall
Vesna was in a coma for several days but eventually woke up with no memory of the crash. Despite her severe injuries, she made a remarkable recovery. Within months, she was walking again. She even wanted to return to flying, but JAT Airways reassigned her to a desk job for her safety.
Vesna Vulović became a national hero in Yugoslavia and an international symbol of resilience. Though theories about the cause of the explosion still circulate, the official explanation remains that a bomb, planted by terrorists, brought down the plane.
She lived a long life after the accident and passed away in 2016 at the age of 66. To this day, her story remains one of the most astonishing survival tales in aviation history.
Her incredible journey serves as a reminder that even in the face of impossible odds, miracles can happen.