Pilot's Skill Saves Passengers in Amazon Plan Crash
Miraculously, nine of the 11 passengers and crew survived and were found by indigenous tribesman.
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November 2, 2009
A Brazilian air force plane carrying health officials on an immunization campaign in indigenous communities lost radio contact last Thursday and crash-landed in a river in the middle of the Amazon jungle. Miraculously, nine of the 11 passengers and crew survived and were found by indigenous tribesman.
According to one survivor, it was the pilot's skill and composure that helped save the lives of his passengers, according to the Associated Press.
The news source quoted the anonymous individual as saying that when "the engine of the plane stopped ... we panicked, but the pilot managed to land the aircraft on the river."
The National Transportation Safety Board says there were 1,559 airplane accidents in U.S. civil aviation in 2008, but statistics suggest 19 out of 20 people make it out of such crashes alive.
Therefore, safety experts suggest it may be a good idea to count the number of rows between one's seat and the nearest exit when boarding the plane.
In the wake of an accident, it is important to leave the scene as quickly as because it can become toxic or explosive. Time and conditions permitting, one should also take basic medicines and a blanket or other cover when leaving the plane to protect oneself from the elements.
Affected individuals and their loved ones may turn to the Crash Survivors Network or the Trauma Resource Institute for help with overcoming the adversity in order to be able to thrive again.
A Brazilian air force plane carrying health officials on an immunization campaign in indigenous communities lost radio contact last Thursday and crash-landed in a river in the middle of the Amazon jungle. Miraculously, nine of the 11 passengers and crew survived and were found by indigenous tribesman.
According to one survivor, it was the pilot's skill and composure that helped save the lives of his passengers, according to the Associated Press.
The news source quoted the anonymous individual as saying that when "the engine of the plane stopped ... we panicked, but the pilot managed to land the aircraft on the river."
The National Transportation Safety Board says there were 1,559 airplane accidents in U.S. civil aviation in 2008, but statistics suggest 19 out of 20 people make it out of such crashes alive.
Therefore, safety experts suggest it may be a good idea to count the number of rows between one's seat and the nearest exit when boarding the plane.
In the wake of an accident, it is important to leave the scene as quickly as because it can become toxic or explosive. Time and conditions permitting, one should also take basic medicines and a blanket or other cover when leaving the plane to protect oneself from the elements.
Affected individuals and their loved ones may turn to the Crash Survivors Network or the Trauma Resource Institute for help with overcoming the adversity in order to be able to thrive again.
