Air stewardess who miraculously survived record-breaking 33,000ft plunge after jet exploded in midair in 1972 dies aged 66
Vesna Vulovic survived the highest ever fall without a parachute by a human being after her plane exploded on January 26, 1972
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15:15, 24 DEC 2016UPDATED17:40, 24 DEC 2016
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Vesna Vulovic, pictured in her air stewardess uniform, has died aged 66
Vesna Vulovic, pictured in her air stewardess uniform, has died aged 66
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An air stewardess who survived a record-breaking 33,000ft plunge after her plane exploded in mid-air has died aged 66.
Vesna Vulovic was working as a Yugoslav Airlines hostess in January 1972 when the Douglas DC-9 airliner she was on blew up.
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Then 22, she plummeted tens of thousands of feet to the ground after the explosion, which was caused by a suspected bomb .
She was the sole survivor of the crash , which killed all of the 27 other passengers and crew members, the Daily Record reports.
More than four decades on, Vesna has been found dead by her friends in her apartment in Belgrade, according to Serbia's state TV.
Vesna entered the Guinness Book of Records for surviving the highest fall without a parachute
Vesna entered the Guinness Book of Records for surviving the highest fall without a parachute (Photo: Euro Pics)
The air stewardess was onboard a Douglas DC-9 airliner in January 1972 when it blew up
The air stewardess was onboard a Douglas DC-9 airliner in January 1972 when it blew up
The cause of death was not immediately known.
In the tragedy on January 26, 1972, JAT (Yugoslav Airlines) Flight 367 was travelling from Stockholm, Sweden, to Belgrade when it exploded.
The flight plan included two stops – Copenhagen and Zagreb.
As the plane was flying over Hermsdorf in eastern Germany it suddenly disappeared from the radar screens and all communications ceased.
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An explosion in the front cargo area broke the plane apart at an altitude of 33,333ft, causing it to spin out of control.
It was suspected that a bomb was planted inside the jet during a scheduled stopover in Copenhagen, Denmark, but no arrests were ever made.
Vesna is pictured being transported to hospital after the horror crash
Vesna is pictured being transported to hospital after the horror crash
JAT (Yugoslav Airlines) Flight 367 was travelling from Stockholm, Sweden, to Belgrade when it exploded
JAT (Yugoslav Airlines) Flight 367 was travelling from Stockholm, Sweden, to Belgrade when it exploded
The plane, broken into two main pieces, crashed against the slopes of a mountain in the Czech Republic with Vesna the only survivor.
Vesna had fallen through the sky for more than 10kilometres and it took her three minutes to hit the ground.
A German man Bruno Henke found her lying half outside a part of the plane with another crew member's body on top of her and a serving cart pinned against her spine.
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Henke had been a doctor in the German Army during World War Two and he used his medical skills to help stabilise her until help arrived.
It was not thought that she would survive though. Her skull was fractured as were both her legs and she had three crushed vertebrae, a broken pelvis and ribs.
But a few days later she awoke from her coma and asked for a cigarette.
Vesna, pictured left, suffered a fractured skull and other severe injuries in the incident
Vesna, pictured left, suffered a fractured skull and other severe injuries in the incident
It is believed she survived because she became trapped in the plane's tail cone and that stopped her being sucked out.
The fuselage then tumbled through pine branches and into a thick coating of snow, softening the impact and cushioning its descent down the hill.
Initially paralysed from the waist down Vesna eventually made a near-full recovery.
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She continued to work for JAT and she even asked the company to let her fly again. However JAT refused and gave her a desk job at the airline HQ.
She never regained memory of the accident or her rescue. In an interview in 2008 she said she could only recall greeting passengers before take-off from the airport in Denmark and then waking up in the hospital with her mother at her side.
The plane crashed against the slopes of a mountain in the Czech Republic, with Vesna the only survivor
The plane crashed against the slopes of a mountain in the Czech Republic, with Vesna the only survivor
She became an instant national hero. Marshall Tito, Yugoslavia's ruler, gave her a welcoming reception, the highest honour you could get in the country at the time.
She had songs dedicated to her and was often a guest on prime-time TV shows.
Vesna became a fashionable name for babies as it was assumed it brought good luck.
The peak moment of her international fame came in 1985 when The Guinness Book of Records invited her to London.
She was awarded with the 'highest fall survived without a parachute' record and Paul McCartney, Vesna’s idol as a youngster, gave her the prize.
She went on to use her celebrity status to help political causes, protesting against Slobodan Milošević's rule in the 1990s and later campaigning for liberal forces in elections.
Vesna always considered herself a survivor but no more than the rest of the Serb people.
Before her death she said: “We Serbians are true survivors. We survived communism, Tito, the war, poverty, NATO bombings, sanctions and Milošević.
"We only want a normal life. I just want a normal life."
Tuesday 27 December 2016
Thursday 22 December 2016
British Airways chief's sky-high pay hits turbulence as it's revealed Willie Walsh gets paid 147 times the average employee at airline group
By Laura Chesters For The Daily Mail
PUBLISHED: 22:22, 17 June 2015 | UPDATED: 22:22, 17 June 2015
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Jackpot: Willie Walsh is in line to receive £6.4million in pay and perks
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Jackpot: Willie Walsh is in line to receive £6.4million in pay and perks
A row over the pay of British Airways boss Willie Walsh and a plan to give free flights to former board members has blown up after it was revealed the Irishman gets paid 147 times the average employee at the airline group.
Willie Walsh is in line to receive £6.4million in pay and perks which is 623 per cent of his base salary for his work last year at International Consolidated Airlines Group, the owner of BA and Spanish airline Iberia.
Shareholder adviser Pirc labelled Walsh’s pay ‘excessive’ and called on shareholders to vote against the rewards at the annual general meeting today in Madrid.
Pirc criticised IAG’s policy on future payouts because the total potential jackpots are 500 per cent of salary.
It said a three-year period to measure Walsh’s performance to qualify for the ‘long-term incentive plan’ – where he receives shares in the company – was not long-term enough. Walsh’s share award will net him £3.64million which is based on a period since 2012.
A proposal to give former non-executive directors the right to fly for nothing was also met with disapproval.
Deborah Hargreaves, boss of the independent think-tank the High Pay Centre, said: ‘We think [long term incentive plans] should be phased out. Bonuses should be paid in cash only. Awards based on share price do not always reflect the work of the chief executive. For example, quantitative easing [the Bank of England’s money-printing programme] has lifted share prices.’
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IAG spokeswoman Laura Goodes said Walsh’s bonus is based on the strong performance of the group in 2014 when he returned Spanish airline Iberia to profit after six years of losses. The share award covers a period where IAG’s shares have risen more than 220 per cent.
A resolution to introduce free flights for non-executive directors has been brought in to align former BA non-executives with others on the board. IAG shares fell 8.5p to 493.5p.
÷ Europe’s five largest airlines are forming a trade body to lobby for change in European regulation.
The bosses of easyJet, IAG, Air France-KLM, Lufthansa and Ryanair have set aside rivalries to team up to call for reduced taxes and limits on strikes to boost competition and reduce prices for travellers.
Read more: http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/markets/article-3128798/British-Airways-chief-s-sky-high-pay-hits-turbulence-s-revealed-Willie-Walsh-gets-paid-147-times-average-employee-airline-group.html#ixzz4TbOtepkB
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
By Laura Chesters For The Daily Mail
PUBLISHED: 22:22, 17 June 2015 | UPDATED: 22:22, 17 June 2015
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Jackpot: Willie Walsh is in line to receive £6.4million in pay and perks
+1
Jackpot: Willie Walsh is in line to receive £6.4million in pay and perks
A row over the pay of British Airways boss Willie Walsh and a plan to give free flights to former board members has blown up after it was revealed the Irishman gets paid 147 times the average employee at the airline group.
Willie Walsh is in line to receive £6.4million in pay and perks which is 623 per cent of his base salary for his work last year at International Consolidated Airlines Group, the owner of BA and Spanish airline Iberia.
Shareholder adviser Pirc labelled Walsh’s pay ‘excessive’ and called on shareholders to vote against the rewards at the annual general meeting today in Madrid.
Pirc criticised IAG’s policy on future payouts because the total potential jackpots are 500 per cent of salary.
It said a three-year period to measure Walsh’s performance to qualify for the ‘long-term incentive plan’ – where he receives shares in the company – was not long-term enough. Walsh’s share award will net him £3.64million which is based on a period since 2012.
A proposal to give former non-executive directors the right to fly for nothing was also met with disapproval.
Deborah Hargreaves, boss of the independent think-tank the High Pay Centre, said: ‘We think [long term incentive plans] should be phased out. Bonuses should be paid in cash only. Awards based on share price do not always reflect the work of the chief executive. For example, quantitative easing [the Bank of England’s money-printing programme] has lifted share prices.’
RELATED ARTICLES
Previous
1
Next
International Consolidated Airlines Group Share Price | This is Money
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IAG spokeswoman Laura Goodes said Walsh’s bonus is based on the strong performance of the group in 2014 when he returned Spanish airline Iberia to profit after six years of losses. The share award covers a period where IAG’s shares have risen more than 220 per cent.
A resolution to introduce free flights for non-executive directors has been brought in to align former BA non-executives with others on the board. IAG shares fell 8.5p to 493.5p.
÷ Europe’s five largest airlines are forming a trade body to lobby for change in European regulation.
The bosses of easyJet, IAG, Air France-KLM, Lufthansa and Ryanair have set aside rivalries to team up to call for reduced taxes and limits on strikes to boost competition and reduce prices for travellers.
Read more: http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/markets/article-3128798/British-Airways-chief-s-sky-high-pay-hits-turbulence-s-revealed-Willie-Walsh-gets-paid-147-times-average-employee-airline-group.html#ixzz4TbOtepkB
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
Sunday 4 December 2016
CREW SUE BA
CABIN CREW 'POISONED' Former BA flight attendant ‘poisoned by cabin fumes’ as 74 staff sue UK airlines over toxic air
Angry Trudie Dadd, 56, said she suffered ‘unbelievable fatigue’ and problems with her memory, stomach, brain and feet after being exposed to fumes during 20 year career
BY GEORGE SANDEMAN 4th December 2016, 11:47 am
Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
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A FORMER flight attendant has said she suffered serious health problems after being “poisoned” by toxic fumes while working for British Airways.
Trudie Dadd, 56, said she had suffered “unbelievable fatigue” as a result and has also had problems with her memory and stomach.
British Airways ALAMY
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A former British Airways flight attendant is suing the airline after she suffered ‘unbelievable fatigue’ because of exposure to toxic fumes in the cabin
A veteran of 20 years with BA, she also claimed to have experienced episodes of confusion and numbness in her feet after being exposed to the fumes twice in 12 months.
The Sunday Times reports that four UK airlines are being sued by 74 cabin crew workers who said they were also exposed to contaminated air while working.
They are being represented by Unite, the trade union, with more than 60 of the cases involving individuals working for BA – the other airlines being sued are Virgin Atlantic, easyJet and Jet2.
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Leaked figures showed that there were at least 292 incidents of fumes or smoke inside aircraft operated by British carriers between June 2014 and May 2015.
Howard Beckett, who works for Unite, said: “It is a health issue which the airline industry has been aware of for some time and is so serious that our members are likening it to the impact of asbestos on the building industry.”
Trudie, from Berkshire, left BA in September and explained the difficulties she suffered after being exposed to the fumes, which she said smelled like bad feet mixed with nail polish remover, in April last year.
British Airways ALAMY
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As well as BA three other British airlines are being sued by 74 workers
She said: “Over the next few months my health really started to deteriorate badly … I couldn’t remember simple things [like] people’s names … I was in a fog, I just wasn’t functioning.”
Trudie, who had dreamed of being a flight attendant since she was a little girl, had to spend two weeks ill in bed after being exposed to similar fumes the year before.
Following her difficulties last year, she had private health tests done and was recommended not to fly for six months so she could get her health back.
Trudie reported the toxic fume incidents to BA but wasn’t asked about it afterwards and slammed the airline for not recognising the issue. She said: “In their eyes it doesn’t happen.”
She added: “I have had to leave a job that I loved — a job I wanted to do since the age of 10. I am very angry that I have had to take that decision.”
In a statement BA said it would not operate an aircraft “if we believed it posed a health or safety risk to our customers or crew”.
The national carrier added: “We always encourage our colleagues to report any potential safety incidents to allow us to investigate them, and all reports are shared with the CAA.”
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368.
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Smoke billows from BA Jet at Las Vegas Airport
Angry Trudie Dadd, 56, said she suffered ‘unbelievable fatigue’ and problems with her memory, stomach, brain and feet after being exposed to fumes during 20 year career
BY GEORGE SANDEMAN 4th December 2016, 11:47 am
Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
0W
COMMENT
A FORMER flight attendant has said she suffered serious health problems after being “poisoned” by toxic fumes while working for British Airways.
Trudie Dadd, 56, said she had suffered “unbelievable fatigue” as a result and has also had problems with her memory and stomach.
British Airways ALAMY
2
A former British Airways flight attendant is suing the airline after she suffered ‘unbelievable fatigue’ because of exposure to toxic fumes in the cabin
A veteran of 20 years with BA, she also claimed to have experienced episodes of confusion and numbness in her feet after being exposed to the fumes twice in 12 months.
The Sunday Times reports that four UK airlines are being sued by 74 cabin crew workers who said they were also exposed to contaminated air while working.
They are being represented by Unite, the trade union, with more than 60 of the cases involving individuals working for BA – the other airlines being sued are Virgin Atlantic, easyJet and Jet2.
RELATED STORIES
AIRPORT DRAMA British Airways flight surrounded by fire engines at Heathrow after 'technical fault' forces it to land
TERMINAL SITUATION British Airways passengers face Heathrow 'chaos' after check-in system fails AGAIN
‘SHOW ME THE F***ING MONEY!’ Greedy British Airways bosses joke about crude slogan on advert as passengers face cramped seats
A FLIGHT DISGRACE Fury after jet perv who groped British Airways stewardess 'let off' with £13 fine
'JET CABIN FUMES CAN BE TOXIC' British Airways safety chief reveals vapours have ability to 'incapacitate' flyers
READY FOR TAKE OFF British Airways stewardess strips to her bikini to reveal incredible six-pack for bodybuilding competitions on her days off
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Leaked figures showed that there were at least 292 incidents of fumes or smoke inside aircraft operated by British carriers between June 2014 and May 2015.
Howard Beckett, who works for Unite, said: “It is a health issue which the airline industry has been aware of for some time and is so serious that our members are likening it to the impact of asbestos on the building industry.”
Trudie, from Berkshire, left BA in September and explained the difficulties she suffered after being exposed to the fumes, which she said smelled like bad feet mixed with nail polish remover, in April last year.
British Airways ALAMY
2
As well as BA three other British airlines are being sued by 74 workers
She said: “Over the next few months my health really started to deteriorate badly … I couldn’t remember simple things [like] people’s names … I was in a fog, I just wasn’t functioning.”
Trudie, who had dreamed of being a flight attendant since she was a little girl, had to spend two weeks ill in bed after being exposed to similar fumes the year before.
Following her difficulties last year, she had private health tests done and was recommended not to fly for six months so she could get her health back.
Trudie reported the toxic fume incidents to BA but wasn’t asked about it afterwards and slammed the airline for not recognising the issue. She said: “In their eyes it doesn’t happen.”
She added: “I have had to leave a job that I loved — a job I wanted to do since the age of 10. I am very angry that I have had to take that decision.”
In a statement BA said it would not operate an aircraft “if we believed it posed a health or safety risk to our customers or crew”.
The national carrier added: “We always encourage our colleagues to report any potential safety incidents to allow us to investigate them, and all reports are shared with the CAA.”
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368.
h
Smoke billows from BA Jet at Las Vegas Airport
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