For one family, the holidays meant reuniting with their father. Maria Mikulicz-Radecki and her daughter were planning to catch a flight to Peru on Christmas Eve to see her husband Hans-Wilhelm. Unfortunately, that flight never made it to Peru…
German Researchers
Hans-Wilhelm Koepcke and Maria Mikulicz-Radecki met at the University of Kiel. They ended up graduating together and relocating to Peru so they could study the local plants and animals. Once they were settled in Peru, they ended up getting married. They even published several books as a married couple. Things were great… For now.
Welcome, Juliane
Maria gave birth to a beautiful daughter named Juliane Margaret Beate Koepcke on October 10th, 1954. Hans and Maria were thrilled. Maria ended up being a very spoiled only child…
Growing Up Wild
Juliane didn’t have a normal childhood. She frequently went with her parents on their wildlife research trips and spent a lot of her time in the woods! She learned a lot about the environment and how to use it for herself…
Juliane at 17
Juliane and her mother had gone off to do their own research while her father did the same in Peru. She and her mother planned a visit around Christmas time. They had no idea what they were getting into…
Attending Graduation
Maria planned the trip to start just a few days before Christmas, but Juliane’s graduation ceremony ended up getting in the way, and they didn’t want to miss it…
Flights Were Booked
It was such a busy time of year and it was getting even harder because of Juliane’s graduation… They ended up settling for a Peruvian airline that was a little sketchy…
Booking the Flight
The mother and daughter duo figured that taking the risk would be worth the anxiety so that they could be with Hans for Christmas. It wasn’t…
The Fateful Day
Their flight was scheduled for December 24th, 1971 at the Jorge Chávez International Airport. It was delayed and the mother and daughter pair were getting worried… They wanted to make it in time for Christmas!
Taking Off
They were able to board the flight and prepare for takeoff. Things were going well and fine for the first few minutes. The passengers and crew were relaxing when, suddenly, the sky darkened…
The Storm
The plane was 35 minutes away from landing when turbulence struck. Things were getting uneasy on board, but the crew decided to continue on instead of taking an emergency landing.
Worsening Conditions
They were at 21,000 feet when the lights in the lane went out. It was initially thought to be because of normal turbulence, but then things got worse. The overhead compartments had opened and luggage was falling onto the passengers and all around the cabin…
Nosedive
The storm was getting worse. The pilots ended up looing total control of the plane. A lightening bolt struck the fuel tank and a fire was started. Then, they began to nosedive…
Waiting Game
At te airport, Hans was waiting for his wife and daughter. He and other family members of the passengers were curious. The plane was late…
Shock
Hans was then informed that the plane had crashed. He ended up returning home without his wife and daughter, unsure of their fates… He was sure that they were dead.
Searching
Officials told the family members that the plane crashed somewhere in the Amazon jungle. Somewhere out there, his wife and daughter were either dead or struggling to stay alive. A search party was sent out, but the weather was so bad still…
LANSA Flight 508
Since the plane was already at 21,000 feet, the crash was assumed to be pretty bad. That’s a very high height to survive a crash…
Worst Case Scenario
Even to this day, this crash is known as one of the worst in aviation history. The pilots should have never taken off… The conditions were too hazardous to be flying. Yet, they did it anyway.
Protesting
Families were outraged. They began to protest the airline and clog up the airport terminal. This already sketchy airline was now facing their third possibly fatal crash…
Searching the Rainforest
The search party zeroed in on the potential crash site, but the forest made it hard to find anything. Hans was still in disbelief that his entire family was gone…
Investigating the Crash
As the search party was underway, officials were beginning to investigate the crash. They were thinking that the plane shouldn’t have been flown in these hazardous conditions, and the lightning bolt is what did it in…
Shutting Them Down
Investigators were sure of finding evidence of negligence. It was evident that the airline pressured the crew to fly, despite the predicted treacherous outcome.
The Wreck
Maria’s alleged last words to her daughter were, “This is it.” Even then, they knew that their chances of surviving this crash were slim…
Bracing for Impact
Juliane was still strapped to her seat as she crashed through the treetops. The air pressure was so strong that she couldn’t even open her eyes.
Alive
Somehow, Juliane survived. She woke up around 24 hours later. She had a broken collarbone and other injuries but was alive.
Alone in the Jungle
Surviving the plane crash was the first challenge. Now, she had to survive the Amazon jungle. She was completely alone, lost her glasses, and was cold and wet. She knew that she had to tap into her will to live in order to survive.
Looking for Mom
Juliane didn’t see any other passengers or remnants from the plane. She needed to find her mom and tried calling her name as loud as she could.
Through the Forest
In order to be less susceptible prey, Juliane would throw her shoe ahead of her so any wild animals would run off. She needed to find her mom.
The Painful Truth
She searched for a full day before she realized that her mother most likely perished. She knew she had to survive for her father.
Alone, But Prepared
Since she was raised in the jungles of Peru, she knew what she had to do. She had survival techniques embedded in her brain.
No Tools
The one thing that made this very different was that she had no tools and only the clothing that she was wearing. She wasn’t properly protected by all of the insects in her current outfit, but she will have to deal…
The Secrets of the Forest
She realized that many of the animals were interested in her. Not as prey, luckily, but they were all around her…
No Rest
The forest was crawling with fire ants and mosquitos. She always had one of those critters on her, and she was slowly getting scabs and open wounds all over.
The Crash Site
She walked for four days until she finally found a piece of the aircraft. Dead passengers were underneath. She found some lollipops and took them. She was sick to her stomach after seeing that crash…
The Trickle of Water
She continued to walk. Not long after, she heard water. Finally! Some good. She tried to find the source of the water, all the while being extremely careful about other animals…
Follow the Water
Her father’s voice was echoing in her head. “Follow the water, follow the water.” She was also hoping that there was civilization nearby…
Wading Through
Finally, she found the river. She found a stick to poke around in the water and see what was lying beneath. She definitely saw eels and other fish she couldn’t recognize… She figured she should cross the river.
Attracting the Enemy
Juliane still had open wounds. She was worried it would attract piranhas… The water was moving quickly, which was in her favor. She got to the other side and continued on…
No Fear
Before she knew it, a crocodile was lurking nearby. It was just relaxing in the water, so she decided to keep calm and continue walking. As long as she didn’t threaten it, it would be fine. Then, she saw something up the river…
Taking a Toll
She found a lone boat on the river. She took it as a sign, hopeful that civilization was nearby. Then, she saw a hut!
Lost in the Details
Juliane needed to rest. She went into the hut, tried to capture some frogs, gave up, and nearly passed out. Little did she know those frogs were actually poison dart frogs… She’s lucky she didn’t catch any!
Eleven Days Later
She stayed in that hut for eleven days. Luckily, three locals found her resting in there. They immediately went to her aid and took care of her. She told them the story, which they were aware of as the plane crash was local as well. They got her to the nearest village, which was a three-hour boat ride away.
Bittersweet
Finally, Hans was reunited with his daughter. The two cried together, mourning the loss of Marie. She took officials to the site of the crash. As it turns out, she was the sole survivor. 14 others had survived the crash but perished in the jungle.
Falling from the Sky
Juliane had her life changed by the event. She moved to Germany on her own and start a new life there. Her father fathered her there two years later and they’ve lived there happily ever since. She wrote an award-winning book, “When I Fell From The Sky.” Now, she is a mammologist and works as a librarian in Munich.