I can recall the JAT DC9 breakup at the time (showing my age here), and seem to remember that the FA fell into a snow-covered pine forest, where the trees, snow and sloping ground managed to break her fall sufficiently. IIRC the DC-9 was routing Zagreb to Copenhagen and the explosion occurred over Czechoslovakia.
Regarding the Pulkovo IL86 accident in Moscow a couple of years ago on a positioning flight, the aircraft may have reached about 600 feet before it came down, but I believe it did not break up in the air, and the survivors were in the tail; presumably the aircraft was only at takeoff speed.
No DC-8s have been lost between Zagreb and Rijeka, in 1963 or any other year.
Boss Raptor: from my skydiving days 12,000 feet in freefall takes about 60 seconds, so I can't understand why the pax falling from 15,000 feet should have taken 8 minutes.
Last edited by WHBM; 31st May 2004 at 15:40.