In 1972, flight attendant Vesna Vulović fell from 33,000 feet (10,000 meters) without a parachute—and survived. She was listed in the Guinness World Records for the highest fall survived without a parachute, though some later questioned the official record.

But was it really 33,000 feet? In 2009, journalists challenged the official story, claiming the plane was shot down at a much lower altitude. So, was this the ultimate survival story—or a decades-long myth?

JAT flight 367 explosion: What happened to Vesna Vulović?

Vesna wasn’t even supposed to be on JAT Flight 367. A scheduling mistake put her there.

On 26 January 1972, the Douglas DC-9 was flying from Stockholm to Belgrade, with stops in Copenhagen and Zagreb. Mid-flight, something tore it apart over Czechoslovakia.

  • 27 passengers and crew died instantly.
  • Vesna, somehow, survived.

Authorities believed a bomb was placed during the stopover in Copenhagen, possibly by Croatian nationalists, but no one was ever caught or charged.

Yugoslav Airlines JAT flight 367.
© Clipperarctic

How did Vesna Vulović survive the 33,000-foot fall?

You don’t. Unless you’re Vesna.

  • She was trapped in the fuselage. Pinned by a catering cart, she avoided being sucked out.
  • The wreckage hit trees and snow. Instead of slamming into solid ground, the impact was softened.
  • She was unconscious. Some doctors believe her low blood pressure prevented fatal shock.
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She was found by Bruno Honke, a former WWII medic, who heard faint moaning from the wreckage.

Vesna Vulović’s injuries and coma: What she said about the crash

Vesna had no memory of the crash. When she woke up 10 days later, she thought she was still working a normal flight.

Her injuries:

  • Fractured skull
  • Broken legs
  • Three crushed vertebrae—leaving her temporarily paralyzed

“I was broken, and the doctors put me back together again,” she later said in a 2008 interview.

Vesna Vulović interviewed at the hospital.
Photo: Alamy

Was Vesna Vulović’s 33,000-foot fall faked? The 2009 investigation explained

In 2009, two journalists—Peter Hornung and Pavel Theiner—challenged the official story.

They claimed:

  • The plane never exploded at 33,000 feet. Instead, it was shot down at just 800 meters (2,600 feet).
  • Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia covered it up to avoid a Cold War scandal.

If true, Vesna’s record-breaking fall never happened.

But:

  • No new investigation was ever opened.
  • The Guinness World Record was officially listed, but some reports suggest it was later removed due to controversy over the fall’s actual altitude.
  • Vesna herself never questioned the official version.

Was she misled? Or did the truth get buried in Cold War politics?

Did Vesna Vulović Really Fall 33,000 Feet?

According to official records, yes—Vesna Vulović fell from 33,000 feet and survived.

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But a 2009 investigation suggested the actual fall was only 800 meters (2,600 feet).

The official crash report remains unchanged. But doubts remain.

Vesna Vulović’s life after the crash: Hero or political rebel?

  • She became a national hero in Yugoslavia but never flew again.
  • Worked for JAT Airlines until she was fired in 1990 for protesting against Slobodan Milošević.
  • She spent years fighting nationalism, once saying, “If nationalist forces in this country prevail, my heart will burst.
  • She lived modestly in Belgrade until her death in 2016, at age 66.

The Vesna Vulović mystery: Was her fall a cold war cover-up?

So, what’s the truth?

  • Did Vesna really survive a 33,000-foot fall?
  • Was it a government cover-up?
  • Or did the media twist the story into a legend?

The official version still stands. But not everyone believes it.

What do you think? Was her fall exaggerated, or is this the ultimate survival story? Drop your thoughts below.