Surviving the Impossible

17-year-old Juliane Koepcke and her mother, Maria Koepcke, boarded LANSA Flight 508 on Christmas Eve 1971. They were flying from the city of Lima, Peru, to spend Christmas with Juliane's father at Panguana, a biological research center in the rainforest where the family lived. If they were lucky, the flight would be short.

None of the passengers were lucky. Far from it, in fact. Midway through the flight, with no warning, the plane broke apart. Juliane was thrown out and suddenly found herself free-falling some 10,000 feet. How would she survive this colossal fall? What had caused the plane to break apart mid-flight? If you want answers to these questions and more, then stay tuned as we explore this incredible story of survival against all odds, and many more like it.

The day before Juliane's ill-fated flight, she and her mother celebrated her high school graduation in Lima, Peru. Originally intending to return home on December 20th, they extended their stay to attend the ceremony. Little did they know that this decision would prove to be fatal. Had they stuck to their original plan, they would have avoided flying with LANSA, an airline with a notorious reputation. Over the past five years, LANSA had experienced two plane crashes caused by pilot errors. Such was the level of distrust that even Juliane's father had warned against flying with LANSA.

However, with all other flights fully booked on Christmas Eve, Juliane and her mother had no alternative if they hoped to reach home in time for Christmas. Their only option was to board Flight 508, which included a stop at Pucallpa. From there, they intended to continue their journey by car and finally arrive at their destination.

The flight departed smoothly with all passengers and crew aboard, heading towards its intended destination of Iquitos. As the plane ascended to an altitude of 21,000 feet, equivalent to about four miles above sea level, the cabin was suddenly engulfed in turbulence. A powerful thunderstorm had materialized ahead, violently shaking the aircraft.

Despite the perilous conditions, the flight crew, driven by the urgency to adhere to the Christmas holiday timetable, persisted on their journey, disregarding the turbulence. The cabin experienced severe shaking, causing luggage to plummet from overhead compartments and making it difficult for the flight attendants to maintain balance. Regrettably, the aircraft, comprised entirely of spare parts from various planes, was ill-equipped to withstand extreme weather. Tragically, when struck by lightning, the inferior construction of the patched-together plane led to the catastrophic rupture of the secondhand fuselage.

The plane was severely damaged, plunging into a fatal nosedive and disintegrating mid-air. Juliane, securely fastened in her seat, witnessed the lightning's luminous flash near the engine. The plane abruptly lurched downward, instilling terror within her. Falling for what seemed like an eternity, the fuselage eventually tore apart, forcefully ejecting her from the aircraft.

Juliane, strapped in her seat, plummeted from 10,000 feet, aware of the inevitable outcome. Even a fall from six feet can prove fatal, let alone such a tremendous height. Without a parachute, she accelerated towards the earth at terminal velocity, where gravity and air resistance reach equilibrium.

Juliane plummeted towards the rainforest at 120 mph, anticipating a painful demise. In her final moments of consciousness, she accepted her fate. Miraculously, Juliane regained consciousness on the forest floor, securely strapped in her seat. Though injured with a broken collarbone, deep gashes, cuts, and a concussion, she had defied all odds. How had she managed this remarkable survival?

Juliane found herself in the middle seat of a row of three, torn out together. The vacant seats beside her acted as a makeshift parachute, reducing her speed. Remarkably, she descended through the destructive thunderstorm, benefiting from the updraft effect that slowed her fall. Crucially, her descent was fragmented, as she landed safely in the rainforest canopy instead of crashing to the ground.

Juliane's fall was softened by the chairs grabbing onto branches, slowing her descent from the towering trees. Yet, her challenges remained. Alone, injured, and without her glasses, she faced the daunting task of navigating the rainforest and searching for other survivors, a difficult feat for her short-sightedness.

In the vast Peruvian rainforest, Juliane found herself in solitude, yet surrounded by formidable creatures. Stealthy jaguars roamed, capable of lightning-fast sprints and incredible leaps. Elusive poison dart frogs concealed themselves, their touch potent enough to kill multiple men. Juliane's survival seemed uncertain, as she navigated the forest, wary of deadly encounters with the frogs or becoming a jaguar's prey.

Juliane, unlike us, had a crucial advantage in the rainforest. Growing up at the Panguana research station, she acquired survival skills. With one shoe lost in the crash, she ingeniously used the remaining one to cautiously probe the ground ahead, mindful of snakes that disguise themselves as dry leaves.

Fortunately, she skillfully evaded snakes and rainforest creatures, reaching a tiny creek. By wading through the water, she minimized the risk of encountering anything dangerous on the forest ground. Following a crucial survival tip, she proceeded downhill alongside the creek, knowing that water often guides lost explorers to civilization.

Juliane journeyed through the stream, spending days searching until she found debris from the plane crash. Amidst the wreckage, she found a bag of sweets, providing her first meal in days. Unfortunately, no other survivors were found, so she continued her path alongside the stream. Enduring the jungle's sweltering days and chilly nights, she braved the elements with only a short sleeveless mini-dress.

Despite the hardships, she persisted, battling the cold and enduring countless nights. By the 10th day, she had run out of sweets, suffered from hunger, and dealt with a festering wound infested by maggots. However, her spirits lifted when she stumbled upon a realization—the stream she followed had merged into a mighty river. And there, in the distance, an empty boat appeared, sparking a glimmer of hope within her.

In the wilderness, she initially believed it was a hallucination as meeting another human seemed improbable. Yet, upon touching the boat, she validated its reality, signifying the presence of others. Juliane's gaze fell upon a narrow path, beckoning her deeper into the jungle.

She followed the trail to a small hut with a palm leaf roof where she discovered a liter of gasoline. Despite its seemingly limited utility, she recalled her father's unconventional method of using kerosene to eliminate maggots from an infected wound. With determination, she poured the gasoline onto her own maggot-infested arm, enduring excruciating pain.

The maggots, in a desperate attempt to escape, burrowed deeper into her flesh, but Juliane managed to extract 30 of them successfully. Typically, it is strongly advised against pouring gasoline on an open wound due to the severe risk of chemical burns caused by prolonged exposure of the skin to gasoline.

Juliane's options were limited, but her basic first aid likely saved her life from infection. However, if you encounter maggots in a wound, it's best to seek hospital help instead of a gas station. Spending the night in a hut, Juliane heard voices the next day - the returning fishermen.

Surprised at first, they provided proper first aid and took her to a more populated area. After 11 days lost in the jungle, Juliane was airlifted to the hospital and reunited with her father. Shockingly, 14 other passengers, including Juliane's mother Maria, were later found to have survived the initial crash.

Despite the severity of her injuries, Maria couldn't be saved and passed away. Her body was discovered on January 12, 1972. Other survivors, whether injured or not, couldn't survive the hidden dangers of the forest. In contrast, Juliane, who underwent a harrowing journey, eventually recovered and returned to Germany. Her passion for the jungle remained undiminished, as she obtained a PhD and conducted bat-focused research in Peru. After her father's passing, she assumed the role of director at the Panguana research center in 2000.

Juliane, rescued from the jungle, remains deeply connected to the wilderness.