The Girl Who Fell From the Sky: Juliane Koepcke’s Unbelievable Survival Story

On Christmas Eve of 1971, Juliane Koepcke, a 17-year-old high school student, boarded LANSA Flight 508 with her mother in Lima, Peru. The two were flying to Pucallpa, where her father worked as a zoologist. The flight, lasting less than an hour, should have been a routine trip. But what happened that day became one of the most extraordinary survival stories in history.

Juliane and her mother had been warned about the airline’s poor safety record, but due to the holiday season and lack of other available flights, they decided to take the risk. The flight was filled with families traveling for Christmas. It was supposed to be a joyful journey.

But shortly after takeoff, the weather changed. The plane flew into a massive thunderstorm. Turbulence shook the aircraft violently, luggage compartments burst open, and lightning began striking around the plane. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck the fuselage, and the plane broke apart mid-air at 10,000 feet.

Juliane was still strapped into her seat when she was thrown out of the aircraft. She plummeted into the Amazon rainforest, falling for what felt like an eternity. Miraculously, the dense foliage of the jungle cushioned her fall. She survived — the only one out of 92 passengers and crew.

Juliane woke up the next day, alone and injured. Her collarbone was broken, one eye swollen shut, and her arm was deeply wounded. She was wearing a sleeveless mini-dress and had lost one shoe and her glasses. But despite her pain and shock, her survival instincts kicked in.

Thanks to her upbringing by two biologists, Juliane had learned some survival skills. She knew enough about the rainforest to find water by following small streams. She knew not to eat wild fruits and berries she couldn’t recognize. Her father had always told her, “If you get lost in the jungle, follow water.”

She began walking. For ten days, she navigated the dangerous jungle terrain, battling insects, hunger, heat, and infections. At night, she tried to sleep on the ground despite the terrifying sounds of the Amazon. During the day, she drank muddy water and kept walking.

Eventually, she stumbled upon a small encampment — a shelter used by forest workers. There, she found a can of gasoline, which she used to clean her infected wounds, remembering a trick her father had taught her. She waited, hoping someone would find her.

The next day, loggers arrived. Shocked to find a girl alone in the jungle, they took her to a nearby village, where she was airlifted to a hospital. Doctors were amazed by her survival. Her father, believing both his wife and daughter were dead, broke down in tears when he learned Juliane had made it.

Sadly, her mother had also survived the initial crash but died from her injuries days later — her body was later discovered near the wreckage.

Juliane went on to study biology, like her parents. She eventually returned to the crash site years later, a journey she described as healing. Her story was later told in a documentary by Werner Herzog, Wings of Hope.

Today, Juliane Koepcke’s story remains a testament to human resilience, courage, and the will to survive against all odds.