Surviving Airline Flight 965: A True Account of a Plane Crash
It was the night of December 20, 1995. An American Airlines plane Flight 965 was on its way from Miami International Airport to Cali, Colombia, with 155 passengers and 8 crew members. En route, the plane encountered adverse weather conditions. The situation went from bad to worse when the plane suddenly crashed into a mountain slope, killing 159 people. However, a few passengers and crew members miraculously survived the crash.
In this article, we take a closer look at the tragic incident and the incredible survival stories of some of the passengers and crew members.
The Crash
The crash of Flight 965 was, at the time, one of the deadliest plane crashes in aviation history. The investigation revealed that the crash occurred due to a series of factors, including pilot error and a flawed onboard computer system. The pilots had made several wrong decisions during the approach phase, including not acknowledging warnings from the onboard system. The runway lights were also not functioning properly, making it difficult for the pilots to identify their location accurately.
Survival Stories
Despite the horrific nature of the crash, some passengers and crew members managed to survive. Patricia Sweeney, a passenger on the plane, recalls the moment when the crash occurred: “Suddenly, there was a loud thud, and the plane shook violently. Then it was just chaos.”
Patricia was seated towards the front of the plane, which had absorbed most of the impact. She was able to free herself from her seat and crawl out of the plane, where she waited for rescuers to arrive. Another survivor was Nestor Rodriguez, a flight attendant who had been seated towards the back of the plane. He too was able to make his way out of the wreckage and help rescue others. Nestor told reporters, “I knew I had to get out of there; I had to find a way to survive.”
Conclusion
The story of Flight 965 is a harrowing reminder of the dangers that can be associated with air travel. While it’s easy to get caught up in the glamour and excitement of flying, incidents like this serve as a stark reminder that proper safety protocols must be in place at all times. The fact that some passengers and crew members were able to survive the crash is a testament to their quick thinking and remarkable resilience.
We must continue to learn from tragedies such as the Flight 965 crash and strive to make air travel as safe as possible. The advancements made in aviation safety in the 25 years since the incident have been significant, but we must never become complacent. May we all remember the passengers and crew members who lost their lives that night and honor their memory by maintaining the highest standards of aviation safety.
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