IAmA plane crash survivor. Commercial flight on a Boeing 737. May 31st 1973 New Delhi, India.

Did you have any idea that Denzel Washington was piloting your plane and did you think he was drunk?

Trust me, he would have done a better job...

Do you have some lingering resentment towards the flight crew?

Not now. In the beginning I did.

Was it terrifying when you realized that the plane was going to crash?

Had no clue we were crashing till I slammed into the seat in front of me, and then hit the right bulkhead. I had undid my seat belt about 30 seconds before the crash, which in my opinion saved my life (kept me from getting chewed up in the wreckage).

The Master Chief never buckled up either...they based him off of you!

LOL. I cried the first 5 minutes of the movie "Up"... ;) Was corrected on this. Sad part comes at 12 minutes.

Fascinating. My dad was hit by an 18 wheeler that ran a red light, tearing the front clean off his vw transporter (1950's ish model). He never wore a seatbelt whenever we drove, and maintained that he and I would not be here now if he wore his seatbelt that day as he was thrown into the back of the van, not kept in place in the wreckage. I have no doubt seatbelts save more lives than not, however in the back of my mind there is always the thought of that freak accident where it would be a hindrance.

All one needs to do is watch some of those vids on r/gore and r/wtf. The ones where people are thrown from their vehicles and get run over several times. Trust me, wear the damn seatbelt. Your old man was lucky that time.

Think "outside the box" with your questions people. Half the "fun" began after the initial crash. Example, went from 165 pounds down to 108 pounds, why? What kind of beer did Ambassador Daniel Patrick Moynihan sneak into my hospital room, and why did he choose that particular day to do it?

Example, went from 165 pounds down to 108 pounds, why?

Did you get a Lt. Dan type injury?

Sorry, a "Lt. Dan" injury? Loss of limbs? No, dumb as doctors left a sponge in me for 30 days. I was dying of infection in the hospital, and no one knew why. They were pumping me full of antibiotics every day. On day 30 my Orthopedic Surgeon was doing the daily dressing change on my "exploratory incision" (puss leakage), when he asked me to lie back. He then sniped the sutures and reached in with forceps, and pulled out a 12" sponge that they had left in me during surgery the night of the crash. Mind you this was done without any kind of anesthesia.

I read an article today that said this happens 6000 times a year in the US... and that sponges are way worse than any sort of instrument as they will bind your organs and almost certainly get infected before the doctors know its there... and its totally preventable now as they have the technology to electronically tag them, but most hospitals dont. That sounds like an awful thing to have gone through...

Saw that same article!

30 days? What did they think it was?

Could you sue?

They had no idea what was going on. Back then there was no "lead thread" running through sponges, that would show up on X-ray. Sue? We're talking India here in 1973.

Mind you this was done without any kind of anesthesia

Meh, you're a marine. It takes more than a few stitches to throw you off your game.

LOL! Hurt like hell though. Screamed, then went into shock.

Tell the story about the beer, please.

I did tell earlier, but long story short. Ambassador Moynihan snuck me in a 6-pack of Budweiser, knowing full well no one would ever accuse an Ambassador of doing such a thing. Moynihan was a good man. One of the few I've met who's word was as good as anything written on a piece of paper. He was the kind of person who was never full of himself. Always remembered where he came from.

What was the sound like? and how tremendous was the force when the impact happend? Glad you're alright

Great question! Still to this day, that is the one thing that'll unnerve me. The sound of metal "crunching". Rotation speed (landing speed) on a 737, to my understanding is about 190 miles per hour. We hit the ground (in a rock quarry no less) and continued on till the plane stopped/broke apart.

Rotation speed is not the landing speed. Rotation speed (Vr) is the speed at which the aircraft "rotates" during the take off roll.

Duh! Good point, you're right.

Did it hurt.... when you fell from heaven?

Immensely...

Here's a wikipedia on the crash in question, Indian Airlines Flight 440.

I'm guessing it must have been a very sudden and quick crash, with no advance warning, if you hit power lines. Good job on saving the kid also!

OK, about the kid. That was a lot of "embellishment" by the news media. It's just that after 40 years, that's all the proof I had that I was in the crash. They don't hand out merit badges as proof for surviving a plane crash...

So what exactly did you do?

In regards to what?

How long did the crash last? Did the pilot die? What was the cause of death for most of the people (fire, smoke inhalation, massive bodily trauma)? Do you ever talk to other survivors of the crash?

Hmm, I'm going to guess it took about 20-30 seconds to come to a stop. Pilots lived (they brought the nose up at the last second). Almost all of the survivors were up front. I was the only one in the rear. Most died in the crash 4-7 at least in the ensuing fire. Watched two burn to death. Broken pelvis and right arm at my end. Barely kept myself from getting BBQ'd. Had 1st and 2nd degree burns. It was a game of keeping from going into shock, while trying to free one leg from the twisted metal. I really was down to my last breath (half the hair facing the fire was singed off), before I was able to free myself and roll down the wreckage. Nope, never have talked to any of the other survivors. The kid became an Air Traffic Controller years later. He lost his mother and two sisters in the crash.

That's terrifying...what was it like to watch people burn to death?

It's not just the watching, it's also the sounds (screams are almost not human sounding). Also, the smell (yeah, it was that close), and the reaction of some. For example, there was this one guy, closer to the flames than I was, who was also trapped by debris. I was cheering him on to try and free himself, yelling at him in Hindi and English. About 15 seconds before the fire reached him, he just sort of "gave up". Maybe he was making peace with whatever God he worshipped. For me, that was the catalyst to ignore the pain and get the fuck off that wreckage. Fire is no way to depart this earth.

About 15 seconds before the fire reached him, he just sort of "gave up".

My guess is, is that the hot air/smoke causing lungs and brain function to fail to give the appearance of giving up.

Source: firefighter

Good point. All that plastic burning, very toxic.

Oh man. That's gut-wrenching. Did you have any long term issues from seeing that happen?

None! Remember, I was 18 years old at the time. Would it have affected me more if I would have been older? Who knows.

I think it would have affected you more at a younger age. But I'm glad you are quite well adjusted.

Thank you! I try not to take myself too seriously though.

I can tell from reading your responses. I think your whole attitude is what keeps you going.

Life's a gift. One shouldn't piss it away complaining about everything.

A professor I had experienced a similar thing when there was an explosion on board the aircraft carrier he was on. He said the same thing, that he was young and he could shake it off.

pic

See, there you go.

this is the most surreal, insane comment I've ever read, made more mental by how cool you are about it all. congratulations on being amazing.

It's a cool story, I'd want to hear it. Dated my wife's twin sister first... saving that one for another AMA. ;)

and only 13K? cripes! ID sue again.

It didn't/doesn't work that way. I had my lawyers, both here and there.

When was the last time you got on a plane?

I love flying. Got my Private Pilots License when I was 21 years old. Just for shits and grins.

Don't leave giggles out of this.

:)

So you faced your traumatizing childhood fear as an adult, and became a master of that which scared you. You're like batman!

Still scared of spiders...

fearless

See me around spiders... scream like a little girl.

Did you ever escape the island?

I am an Island...

I am currently reading this from a Boeing 737 and it isn't filling me with confidence.

Enjoy the flight! LOL

Survived a plane crash.

was the youngest Embassy Marine in the world

Son, I think you may be a player character.

You could find a much better looking character.

what kind of compensation did you get from the airlines?

$13,000! Something about the limits of the "Warsaw Pact", and no not that Warsaw Pact. Something related to crashing on a commercial flight in a foreign country and the monetary compensation that follows.

It's the Warsaw Convention of 1929, not the Warsaw Pact of 1955. Much more benevolent!

Thank you for the correction!

The crash was almost 40 years ago now - really sets the bar high for terrifying moments. Has anything that's happened to you since then even come close? One would think that after that, your response to pretty much anything else would be "Eh..."

Actually, got in a head on collision in my old CJ5 Jeep. It was with a big old Dodge car. Hard enough to tear my engine from the mounts. Instinctively hit the quick release on the fire extinguisher behind me on the roll bar upon stopping. That ol fire thing...

Are you invincible?

Trust me, I bleed like everyone else.

What sort of injuries did you sustain from this crash? How long was your recovery period? And Finally, I really want to hear about the Ambassador giving you beer, If you don't mind. Thanks!

Broken pelvis, broken right arm, internal bleeding, and 1st and 2nd degree burns. Messed up my bladder too (misformed is all). Recovery was about 6 months total, must due to the sponge being left inside me and the weight loss. First off, I was the Ambassador's wife's favorite Marine (she didn't much like the military, and I looked like a kid back then). I was the one chosen to go out on the town with them as a Bodyguard more often that not. Anyway, the Ambassador, on July 4th (before he's to give a speech to the Embassy personnel), walks into my room at the Hospital at the British High Commission with a picnic basket, looks down the hallway both ways, pulls out a 6-pack of Budweiser and tells me "You don't know where you got this from, right Corporal!". Mind you, I was still hooked up to an IV at this time, so those beers went right to my head. All the other Marines were waiting with the other staff for him to show up for his speech (they couldn't take the blame for the 6-pack). No one would dare accuse the Ambassador of slipping me the beer... my nurse ending up "beating" the shit out of me for that episode.

"beating" seems....ambiguous.

she wanked his wanker.

No, she keep hitting me. Little 5 foot Nepalese woman. Tough as nails.

Huh?

due to the sponge being left inside me

What do you mean? Did they leave a surgical sponge after an operation?

Yep! Big ol 12 inch sponge.

So how did 12 inches feel inside you?

It wasn't pretty, that's for sure! ;)

How did the captain/stewards tell you something was wrong? Did they know something was wrong?

Nope! On final approach at night. Pilot "flared" the plane at the last second, which caused the back end to slam into the ground first. I was in the last seat in the rear next to one of the flight attendents.

Where was your seat located?

Very last seat in the rear. I was carrying classified information for the Embassy on one of the weekly courier runs to our Consulate in Madras, and back again. Just so happens on this flight there was a large box I had to watch go into the cargo hold and observe the door shut, before I could board the plane.

How did they recover the classified pouch after the crash?

They automatically assume, in that kind of situation, that classified information is confiscated, even if it's a safe bet that it was burned with everything/everybody else.

Did the wreck burn? How did you get out?

Plane was a complete loss. Everyone was buried in one mass grave. Due to the heat, not much left. Clawed my way off

How'd it actually go? Did the fuselage break open? The paper said something about a little kid, what was with that?

Plane split right down the middle, with the electrical stuff sparking, people screaming, and the sound of metal crunching. Later, one of the wings, that somehow remained intact, exploded, which made for a few interesting moments (things go up and things come down). All I could do was cover my face and hope nothing hit me. The kid lost his Mom and two sisters in the fire. His father was in shock. When I saw the flames moving toward the fuel tank (wing) I told him to get his father and get off the wreckage (he was worried about my situation). As I mentioned earlier, he later became an Air Traffic Controller.

what where your thoughts the second you exit the plane? where you in complete shock?

After rolling down the wreckage, I was spent. Rescue was a long time coming, since we were in a roadless area. It took about an hour for them to reach us. I had clawed my way far enough (about 12-15 feet) where I was safe enough. Villagers had arrived first and were dragging the few of us left close to the wreckage, away from the fire.

Good guy villagers!

Yes they were.

Have you been back to India since?

No, I would love to though. Kipling once wrote "To understand a foreign country, you must first smell it", or something to that effect. He must have been talking about India. I really miss those smells. America is so sterile in that regard.

I don't think anyone would miss the smell of Calcutta.

Madras (now Chennai) still has an Enfield motorcycle factory. Well worth a visit, amongst many other things to do in India.

Ah, for me the smell, the sounds, they were magic to someone who yearned for adventure. Besides, not much over a year before I got there, I was breaking and entering, smoking weed, had quit High School. Was basically going nowhere. The Marines, Embassy duty, they were my new lease on life. Found out that the dude who I did some of those things with, and who had followed me into the Marines (joined with me on the buddy system), was found frozen to death and homeless a month ago. Family didn't even want to claim the body. Sad...

Fucking hell that's depressing. In a way you survived two near-disasters.

I guess it's what one makes of it. Use it as "learning moments", or seek therapy the rest of your life. It all boils down to choices in life, as far as how we deal with what's thrown at us.

I've always loved that quote and it is so true. I travel all over for business for pleasure and every time I get off an airplane I notice new smells where ever I land. If I've been to a place before you could put me on a plane and not tell me where I was going, blindfold me and when I get off I can tell you where I am.

Maybe that is my superpower.

Sense of smell is a powerful thing. I know what you mean.

I know what you mean. I live in Canada now, originally from Pakistan and the same word comes to mind: sterile. I really miss the smell of Pakistan. Everything just smells more. The worst smells are worse, but the best smells are better.

Exactly! You know what I mean. Sometimes I get that look of "are you fucking serious about the smells". :)

4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42. What do these numbers mean?

Lotto?

How did you get out of the plane after it crashed?

It was a race between me and the fire. No plane to get out of. When we finally came to a stop, I was on my back, looking at the night sky. The fire eventually got to where I was, and I decided to risk going into shock by yanking my leg free from wreckage, pushing off with my good arm, and hoping that rolling down the wreckage would buy me a little more time... assuming that I didn't pass out from the pain. ;)

How did the Jet crash?

Pilot error at night on final approach to the runway. Crashed 6 kilometers short.

Glad you made it out! My girlfriend lost her life in one, and I've always wondered (and dreamt of) how it would have been like inside and what goes on in the minds of the passengers immediately after the crash. Thanks for the insight!

I'm so very, very sorry...

do you/did you ever have nightmares or any major psychological issues afterwards?

Nope, none whatsoever. Do have regrets though, that if my pelvis wasn't busted up at the time, I figure I could have saved at least 3 people, even with just my one arm in working order. Shame... people get crazy in that kind of situation. Like rats on a sinking ship.

• What kind of warning did you get, if any?
• What was the impact like?
• How did you get out of the plane?
• How did they get you to the hospital?
• You ever freak out about it now?
• Do you ever talk to fellow survivors of that flight?

No warning Like hitting something at 190 miles an hour Clawed my way off Carried me off, till they could reach an ambulance Nope, except when I hear metal crunching No, I never have talked to any other survivors

Where are you now? Married? A hermit?

Did you gain any sort of higher understanding (not necessarily god-like) from this situation regarding what is important?

In Minnesota. Been with my better half 27 years now. Oh Hell yeah, as in "Life's meant to be lived" and screw what Society says is important. Also, for a short while, I was bitter towards my fellow man. I saw acts of cowardice that night (people stepping on other people trying to get off the wreckage), but as time went by, I realized that people react differently to different situations. It's easy to find the bad in the world, much harder to look for the good.

What kind of pain were you in?

The "pass out from shock" kinda pain. Shit hurts hitting the ground like that! ;)

have you experienced any kind of survivors guilt?

No, not really.

Did you have any type of near death experience like, seeing the bright light or seeing your life flash before your eyes?

No. Just thought it was weird that I undid my seatbelt moments before the crash (truly believe this saved my life). The flight attendant next to me even called me on it, but I didn't fasten it. It was something I never did before or since.

Why did you undo your belt, and why do you believe it saved your life?

[Upon proof-reading, the questions could perhaps be interpreted as judgmental. They're not meant to be; they're just questions.]

Wouldn't care if it was judgmental. It takes a lot to rattle my cage. All those years of working security in Clubs I guess. Have no idea why I undid the seatbelt. I was like it wasn't even my hand doing it. I ended up bouncing around on top of the wreckage, instead of getting chewed up in it.

Did you happen to see people fighting to save those they cared about? Or how about abandoning them?

I believe the mother survived the initial crash, but died trying to get to her daughters. I was stepped on twice by individuals trying to get off the wreckage. Some insane moments that can make one go to the "Dark Side" if one lets it happen. Easy to get jaded by that.

How long did it take for you to REALLY "register" that you had survived a plane crash?

Probably the next morning when the Embassy Doctor visited me in the hospital and said "You know Corporal, if you hadn't been in the shape you were in, you wouldn't have survived the crash". It was one of those WTF moments.

you need proof that shows that the man in the picture is you.

I could say that I am the president and show a new article with the president in it. is that enough?

Like I said, they don't give out merit badges for surviving a plane crash. You go my name from the article. Try googling it and see what you find. Oh hell, I'll save you the trouble. Go to "NomadicIslandAdventures.com" look up "crew". Actually, listen to the music there. My friend did a great job. The site's a dream job of ours... one day.