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How Vesna Vulovic Survived a 33,000-Foot Fall Without a Parachute: Incredible Story of the Flight Attendant

How Vesna Vulovic Survived a 33,000-Foot Fall Without a Parachute: Incredible Story of the Flight Attendant

On January 26, 1972, Vesna was working aboard JAT Yugoslav Airlines' Flight 367 when a suspected bomb tore the plane apart mid-air over Czechoslovakia, now the Czech Republic-Czechia.

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Vesna Vulovic: The Only Survivor of a 33,000-Foot Fall in Aviation History

In a horrific tragedy, all 27 passengers and crew perished, except for Vesna.

Plummeting 33,000 feet without a parachute, Vesna survived the highest recorded fall in aviation history. Trapped by a food cart in the tail section of the plane, she hurtled toward the ground. The tail, cushioned by a snow-blanketed forest, miraculously absorbed much of the impact.

Vesna Vulovic, Photo Taken Before the Plane Crash

How Vesna Vulovic Survived the Deadliest Plane Crash and Became a National Hero

Her piercing screams alerted Bruno Honke, a woodsman, who rushed her to a hospital. Vesna fell into a coma for 10 days and suffered severe injuries: a fractured skull, two crushed vertebrae, a broken pelvis, several broken ribs, and both legs. “I was broken, and the doctors put me back together again,” she told the New York Times in 2008.

Wreckage of the JAT Jugoslavenski Aerotransport plane.

The Remarkable Recovery of Vesna Vulovic: From Tragedy to Triumph

Despite being temporarily paralyzed from the waist down, Vesna’s spirit remained unbroken. She made an astonishing recovery and returned to work for the airline, albeit in a desk job. Her survival earned her a place in the Guinness Book of Records in 1985.

Vesna's recovery in the hospital was widely followed in Yugoslavia and the world.

Surviving the Unthinkable: Vesna Vulovic’s Journey from Disaster to Guinness World Record

Vesna had no memory of the crash but continued to fly as a passenger. Her harrowing experience turned her into a national symbol of hope and reconciliation in Yugoslavia and then Serbia and Croatia. She dedicated her life to advocating for peace and understanding, using her fame to campaign for political causes.

Vesna Vulovic Dedicated Her Life to Promoting Peace and Ending the War in Yugoslavia and Croatia

Vesna Vulovic’s Inspiring Legacy: A Symbol of Hope and Resilience in Yugoslavia, Serbia and Croatia

“I am like a cat, I have had nine lives. But if nationalist forces in this country prevail, my heart will burst,”

Vesna Vulovic passed away in 2016 at the age of 66, leaving behind a legacy of courage and resilience that continues to inspire.

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