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.
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.
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.
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.
❌ 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.