SoF Historical Spotlight: Vesna Vulović and The Unbelievable Story of Surviving a 33,000-Foot Fall
Essential Points:
Against All Odds: Vesna Vulović’s miraculous survival from a 33,000-foot fall demonstrates the extraordinary interplay of luck, physics, and human resilience, reminding us of the unpredictable nature of life.
The Human Spirit's Strength: Despite catastrophic injuries, Vesna’s recovery showcases the incredible adaptability and healing potential of the human body, inspiring us to persevere through life's challenges.
Life Beyond Tragedy: Vesna’s story highlights that even life-altering events don't define us. Her activism and continued life after the fall serve as a testament to embracing resilience and moving forward.
In this edition of the SoF Historical Spotlight we will be highlighting the harrowing survival of Vesna Vulović and her unintentional entry into the history books after surviving a non-survivable fall. Along the way we will explore the power of human resilience and coming back from certain death.
Picture this: falling from a plane at 33,000 feet, the ground rushing toward you, and against all odds, surviving. It sounds like something out of a Hollywood action film, but for Vesna Vulović, it was a reality.
Vesna Vulović, a 22-year-old Serbian flight attendant, was a part of a devastating aviation accident on January 26, 1972. Her story isn’t just about survival, it’s a jaw-dropping tale of resilience and the uncertainty of life. Vesna, fortunately or unfortunately, holds the Guinness World Record for surviving the longest fall without a parachute, and her incredible ordeal remains one of the most astonishing survival stories in history.
So, how did Vesna defy all odds and make it through such a catastrophic fall? Let’s delve into her remarkable story, from the tragic events of that day to the quite literally miraculous factors that saved her life and the legacy she left behind.
The Flight: Setting the Scene
JAT Airliner; Image Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JAT_Flight_367#/media/File:JAT_DC-9_(7107744587).jpg
January 26, 1972, began like any other day for Vesna. As a flight attendant on JAT Yugoslav Airlines, her schedule typically kept her in the skies. On this day, however, a scheduling mix-up landed her on JAT Flight 367. Flight 367 was a flight she wasn’t originally assigned to, an oversight that would forever alter her life.
The aircraft, a Douglas DC-9, reached its cruising altitude of 33,000 feet as it flew over what was then Czechoslovakia. Passengers were relaxed, the hum of the engines filled the cabin, and Vesna went about her duties, unaware that tragedy was lurking right around the corner.
At 4:01 PM, disaster struck. A bomb, believed to have been planted by a Croatian nationalist group, detonated in the luggage compartment. The explosion tore the plane apart mid-air, sending passengers, crew, and debris hurtling through the freezing atmosphere killing everyone, almost. What began as a routine flight became one of aviation’s most horrifying disasters.
The Fall: 33,000 Feet to Earth
The comforting blue sky, and calm plane interior, were suddenly shattered by an ear-splitting explosion. The plane ripped open, sucking passengers out into the devastating cold and a deathly freefall. Vesna is thought to have been launched towards the rear of the plane, before a food cart pinned her in place. She was most likely knocked unconscious from the decompression of the plane and explosion. Her body tumbled toward the Earth near terminal velocity while trapped in a quite literal metal coffin. Although still in the plane, her situation didn’t seem much better than those freefalling outside of it.
Falling from 33,000 feet is equivalent to plummeting from Mount Everest's peak, only faster and with no safety gear. For Vesna, the odds of survival weren’t just slim, they were virtually nonexistent.
For most people, such a fall would mean certain death. After all, everyone in that plane did die, except Vesna. The speed, impact, and sheer forces involved exceed what the human body is designed to endure. Yet Vesna’s trajectory took her into a remote, snow-covered forest near Srbská Kamenice, Czech Republic. The wreckage of the tail section, where she was pinned, cushioned her landing, and the dense trees and snow absorbed much of the impact. Luck was on her side.
The Physics and Luck of Survival
Images of JAT Flight 367 crash site
Vesna’s survival defies conventional logic, but it’s thought that several key factors worked in her favor:
Position in the Aircraft: Vesna was in the rear section of the plane, which remained partially intact. This acted as a crude protective shell as it descended.
Snow-Covered Terrain: The forest floor was blanketed in snow, which softened the blow and reduced the lethality of the impact.
Physics of the Fall: Terminal velocity, the maximum speed an object reaches during freefall in a vacuum, is influenced by air resistance. The shape of the portion of wreckage she was trapped in could have slowed the speed of the fall, if it caught enough air on the way down, similar to a parachute.
Being Unconscious: Vesna most likely lost consciousness soon after the explosion, which may have saved her life. In an unconscious state, the body remains limp, a factor known to reduce the severity of impact injuries.
While scientists and aviation experts still marvel at her survival, Vesna’s ordeal remains a one-in-a-billion event. A tragic, yet unforgettable, combination of luck, physics, and resilience.
The Aftermath: Broken But Not Done
Vesna Vulović in the hospital
Villagers in Srbská Kamenice found Vesna alive but severely injured in the wreckage. Her injuries were many and included: a fractured skull, broken legs, crushed spinal vertebrae, and numerous other internal injuries. Yet, against all odds, she clung to life, a testament to her resilience and the astonishing circumstances of her fall. She was rushed to a hospital and slipped into a coma for 27 days.
Amazingly, Vesna recovered. After months of rehabilitation, she regained the ability to walk, though she carried a prominent limp and the physical scars of her ordeal for the rest of her life. Remarkably, Vesna had no memory of the explosion or her fall, sparing her from the trauma of reliving the event.
Her survival made international headlines, and she became a Guinness World Record holder as the height of the fall was verified through the black box data of the plane. Although she became a small time celebrity, Vesna remained realistic, often attributing her survival to pure luck rather than anything she intentionally did.
Vesna Vulović’s Legacy
Vesna Vulović after her recovery
Vesna’s life after the fall wasn’t defined by the accident. She continued working for JAT Airways in a desk role and became an advocate for peace in the Balkans later on. Her realism and grace inspired many who heard her story of resilience and extraordinary fight for life.
In 2016, Vesna passed away at the age of 66, but her legacy remains. Her survival is a testament to both the fragility and strength of the human body and mind. It challenges us to reflect on how unpredictable life can be and how, even in the darkest of circumstances, survival is possible.
Lessons in Survival and Resilience
Vesna Vulović’s story is more than just a tale of survival. It offers profound insights into human endurance and the unpredictable nature of life. Here are a few takeaways from her miraculous journey:
Luck Plays a Role: Vesna’s survival hinged on an extraordinary sequence of events, including her position in the plane and the snowy terrain. Sometimes, survival is a matter of being in the right place at the right time. This applies to falls from any height, but it’s important to note that the lower the fall, the more you have control of what happens.
The Resilience of the Human Body: Her recovery demonstrated the body’s incredible ability to heal, even after catastrophic injuries. This resilience is a reminder of how adaptable and strong we can be, even in the face of unimaginable trauma. Our determination to come back from tragedy is often the key to this type of odds-defying recovery.
What Happens After an Accident: Tragic accidents can become a defining moment in your life, but it is important to remember it does not define your life as a whole. Vesna went on to live a life outside of being a flight attendant after this incident, and even was an activist outside of aviation as a whole. Never let a terrible chapter in life define who you are or what you are capable of.
Final Thoughts: A Legacy To Remember
Vesna Vulović imitating a plane flying; Image Source: https://www.exyuaviation.com/2016/12/vesna-vulovic-passes-away.html
Vesna Vulović’s story is more than a historical footnote, it’s a powerful reminder of the resilience of the human spirit and the unpredictable nature of life. Her fall from 33,000 feet defied physics, logic, and what many would think is humanly possible, leaving us with a story that’s as awe-inspiring as it is humbling.
Let Vesna’s incredible survival inspire you to appreciate life’s unpredictability and your own inner strength. Whether you’re facing challenges big or small, her story serves as proof that humans are capable of enduring even the most unimaginable circumstances. Let her challenges put yours in perspective. Whether you are struggling with balance, deathly terrified of falling, or can’t quite move the way you wish you could, don’t give up on yourself.
The next time you look up at the sky, think of Vesna, the young flight attendant who fell from the heavens and lived to tell the tale. While most of us may never face a fall like Vesna’s, maintaining balance and preventing falls is essential for our health and well-being. Take the first step toward resilience with the Beginner to Intermediate Balance Program and learn how to enhance your balance and live without fear of falling.
If you’d like to continue learning about great moments in balance and falling history, be sure to read about the greatest tightrope walker in the world Philippe Petit!
General References
Atwal, S. (2022, April 7). How Vesna Vulović survived the highest fall ever with no parachute. Guinness World Records. https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2022/4/how-vesna-vulovic-survived-the-highest-fall-ever-with-no-parachute-697786
BBC News. (2016, December 24). Vesna Vulovic, stewardess who survived 33,000ft fall, dies. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-38427411
Cassidy, C. (2024, November 30). 35 facts about Vesna Vulovic - Facts.net. Facts.net. https://facts.net/history/people/35-facts-about-vesna-vulovic/
Everyday, V. (2023, October 14). The incredible story of Vesna Vulović, a Serbian flight attendant who fell 33,000 feet and survived | Vintage News Daily. Vintage News Daily. https://vintagenewsdaily.com/the-incredible-story-of-vesna-vulovic-a-serbian-flight-attendant-who-fell-33000-feet-and-survived/
Jones, S. (2024, April 13). How Vesna Vulović survived falling over 33,000ft. Historic Flix. https://historicflix.com/how-vesna-vulovic-survived-falling-over-33000ft/
McPolin, S. (2024, January 13). “I survived a plane bomb that left me falling 33000ft without a parachute.” The Mirror. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/us-news/i-only-survivor-plane-bomb-31873581
Time. (1972, February 7). YUGOSLAVIA: the specter of separatism. TIME. https://time.com/archive/6839556/yugoslavia-the-specter-of-separatism/
