5 Incredible Stories of People Who Survived in Plane Crashes, Including a 3-Year-Old
Picture yourself strapped into an airplane seat, the engines roaring, when suddenly everything goes wrong.
The plane plummets, and chaos erupts. Yet, against all odds, one person survives.
These are the stories of sole survivors of plane crashes, individuals who faced unimaginable tragedy and lived to tell their tales.
Their experiences are a testament to human resilience, luck, and the will to survive.
Unforgettable Survival Stories
1. Air India Flight 171 (2025)
Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a 38-year-old British national of Indian descent, was aboard Air India Flight 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for London from Ahmedabad, India. On June 12, 2025, just 32 seconds after takeoff, the plane crashed into the hostel block of B.J.
Medical College, 1.7 kilometers from the runway. The impact killed 241 of the 242 passengers and crew, plus 19 people on the ground. Vishwash, seated in 11A near an emergency exit, was surrounded by flames and debris when he opened his eyes.
“Everything happened in front of my eyes. I thought I would die,” he told NDTV in a hospital interview. The door near his seat had broken on impact, revealing a small gap. Despite a limp and wounds on his face, he jumped out, navigating through the wreckage to reach safety.
Social media footage showed him walking to an ambulance, bloodied but alive, a sight that stunned the world. A preliminary report by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau revealed the crash was caused by both engines losing thrust after their fuel control switches moved to CUTOFF, a mystery that deepened with cockpit audio of a pilot asking, “Why did he cut off?”
Vishwash’s survival, near an exit and amidst such devastation, remains a haunting miracle.
2. Yemenia Airways Flight 626 (2009)
Bahia Bakari, a 12-year-old French girl, was traveling with her mother, Aziza Aboudou, for a summer vacation in the Comoros when Yemenia Flight 626 crashed into the Indian Ocean on June 30, 2009. The Airbus A310, carrying 153 people, went down near Grande Comore due to pilot error during an unstabilized approach.
Ejected from the plane as it broke apart, Bahia found herself alone in the water, clinging to a piece of wreckage. With little swimming experience and no life vest, she floated for over 13 hours in heavy seas, much of it in darkness.
“I could hear other voices at first, but they stopped,” she later wrote in her memoir, Moi Bahia, la miraculée. Fishermen found her, exhausted and injured with a broken collarbone, fractured pelvis, burns, and facial wounds.
Her mother did not survive. Bahia was flown back to France on a government jet, reuniting with her father, Kassim, at Le Bourget airport. Dubbed “the miracle girl,” her survival is one of the deadliest sole-survivor ocean crashes in history.
3. Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 (1972)
On October 13, 1972, a Uruguayan Air Force plane carrying a rugby team, their families, and supporters crashed in the Andes mountains. Of the 45 on board, 29 initially survived, stranded at over 11,000 feet in freezing conditions.
With no food and dwindling hope, the survivors faced a brutal reality. After hearing on the radio that rescue efforts had been called off, they made the desperate decision to eat the flesh of those who had died to survive.
“It was a choice to live,” one survivor later said. Over 72 days, they endured avalanches and starvation. Two survivors, Nando Parrado and Roberto Canessa, hiked for 10 days through treacherous terrain to find help.
On December 22, 1972, 16 survivors were rescued, their story later immortalized in books and films like Alive. Though not a sole survivor case, their collective endurance remains one of aviation’s most extraordinary survival sagas.
4. Sudan Airways Flight SD39 (2003)
Mohammed el-Fateh Osman, a three-year-old boy, was the sole survivor of Sudan Airways Flight SD39, a Boeing 737 that crashed on July 8, 2003, shortly after takeoff from Port Sudan. The plane, carrying 117 people, suffered engine failure and attempted to return to the airport but plummeted into a hillside.
Mohammed was found in the wreckage, severely injured with burns and a severed leg. Rescuers airlifted him to London for treatment, where he underwent extensive surgeries. His mother, who was traveling with him, did not survive.
Mohammed’s survival at such a young age, despite catastrophic injuries, stunned rescuers and medical teams. His story is a poignant reminder of the fragility and resilience of life, even in the face of overwhelming tragedy.
5. Delta Connection Flight 5191 (2006)
James Polehinke, the co-pilot of Delta Connection Flight 5191, was the sole survivor when the Comair CRJ-100ER crashed on August 27, 2006, near Lexington, Kentucky. The plane, carrying 50 people, attempted takeoff from a runway too short for its size due to a navigational error. It hit trees and burst into flames.
James, seated in the cockpit, was pulled from the wreckage with severe injuries, including broken bones and burns. “I don’t know why I lived,” he later said, grappling with survivor’s guilt. The other 49 passengers and crew, including the captain, perished.
James faced a long recovery, both physically and emotionally, as he processed the loss of his colleagues and passengers. His survival, tied to his position in the cockpit and the quick response of rescuers, underscores the unpredictable nature of such disasters.
The Power of Survival
Sole survivors often face immense physical and emotional challenges. Factors like seat location, quick thinking, or sheer luck can make the difference.
Vishwash’s proximity to an exit, Bahia’s tenacity in the ocean, and James’s position in the cockpit played crucial roles. These stories highlight the randomness of survival and the strength required to rebuild after such loss.
A Lasting Legacy
The tales of sole survivors of plane crashes inspire awe and reflection. They remind us to stay vigilant—knowing exit locations, keeping seat belts fastened, and listening to safety briefings.
These survivors’ resilience shows that even in the darkest moments, the human spirit can endure, leaving a legacy of hope for us all.
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