Plane Facts: Sole Survivors

Wednesday, November 25, 2020 at 09:51 AM ET

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A memorial erected to the 49 victims of Comair Flight 5191, which crashed while taking off in Lexington, Kentucky, in 2006, after accidentally using a too-short runway. Only the co-pilot survived.

Key Takeaways:

The document details multiple instances of individuals being the sole survivor of catastrophic plane crashes, highlighting their extraordinary resilience against overwhelming odds.
Notable cases include young survivors like 14-year-old Bahia Bakari, who spent nine hours at sea, and 4-year-old Cecelia Cichan, found shielded under her mother.
Other remarkable survivals feature Annette Herfkens, who was stranded for 8 days in a remote mountain range, and flight attendant Vesna Vulovic, who survived a 6.31-mile fall from a plane destroyed by a bomb.
These accounts illustrate diverse crash circumstances, from pilot error and lightning strikes to bombings, with survivors enduring prolonged periods awaiting rescue in varied environments.

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Fatalities In Crash Of Yemenia Flight 626 (2009): 152 (2009)
Survivors: 1
Name: Bahia Bakari
Age: 14
Hours Spent At Sea Clinging To Wreckage: Nine-plus
Injuries: Hypothermia, fractured collarbone
Last Memory Before Crash: Announcement to fasten seatbelt

Fatalities On Northwest Airlines Flight 255 (1987): 154
Fatalities On The Ground: 2
Lone Survivor: Cecelia Cichan, age 4
How She Was Found: Shielded under her mother
Gifts Received In Hospital: 2,000+
Cards: 30,000+
Special Attendee At Her Wedding: Firefighter who saved her life

Crash Where Sole Survivor Was At The Controls: Comair Flight 5191 (2006)
Cause: Incorrect runway/runway overrun
Runway Used: 26, 3,501 ft
Length The CL-600 Required For Takeoff: 3,744 ft

Sole Survivor Left Stranded In Remote Mountain Range: Annette Herfkens
Crash: Vietnamese Airlines Flight VN474 (1992)
Fatalities: 30
Days Before Rescue: 8
Herfkens’ Injuries: Fractured hips, collapsed lung, broken jaw

Longest Time Before A Sole Survivor Was Rescued: 11 days
Location: Amazon rainforest
Crash: LANSA Flight 508 (1971)
Fatalities: 91
Cause: Lightning strike
Miles Survivor Fell From Sky: 2

Furthest Distance Fallen From Plane And Survived: 6.31 miles
Survivor: Vesna Vulovic
Occupation: Flight attendant
Crash Involved: JAT Flight 367 (1972)
Cause: Briefcase bomb
Fatalities: 27