Reasons why 4 children survived when plane crashed in Amazon forest

Four children were sitting at the back of the plane when it crashed into the Amazon rainforest canopy, so they survived the crash, although three adults traveling with them died.

Colombia was shocked by the news that four children had been found alive in the Amazon rainforest after surviving 40 days in the jungle. They had been wandering in the jungle since May 1, when a small plane carrying them, their mother and two adults crashed.

The miracle of the four children attracted public attention, not only because they were able to survive in the jungle for more than five weeks, but also because they actually overcame "death's door" when the plane crashed.

The flight, piloted by Hernando Murcia Morales, was carrying indigenous leader Herman Mendoza Hernández, an indigenous woman named Magdalena Mucutuy Valencia, and her four children, the oldest 13 years old and the youngest 11 months old.

Shortly after taking off from the airport in Araracuara on the morning of May 1, the pilot contacted air traffic control about an emergency. "Mayday, Mayday, engines at minimum power, I'm looking for a place to land," he said.

The scene of the plane crash in the Amazon rainforest in May. Photo: Colombian Accident Investigation Commission

The pilot then reported that the engine was working again and continued the journey, but less than an hour later, he continued to announce: "Mayday, Mayday, engine failure again. I'm looking for a river. I see a river to the right."

Air traffic control data showed the plane veering to the right, then disappearing from radar. Air rescuers immediately launched a search operation, but did not immediately find the wreckage in the jungle.

Five days later, the Colombian military deployed special forces to search the forest on the ground. It was not until the evening of May 16 that they discovered the wreckage of the plane, along with the pilot and two adults who died at the scene, but the four children were not there.

Photos from the scene showed the tail of the plane standing upright, relatively intact, while the nose and nose of the plane hit trees and the ground. The investigation report said the plane likely flew at an altitude of about 50 meters, before hitting the dense canopy, causing the engine and wings to tear off, then falling vertically to the ground.

"A detailed examination of the wreckage showed that after the aircraft hit the tree canopy, the engine and propeller separated from the fuselage and fell," the report said. "Due to the sudden deceleration caused by the tree, the aircraft nose-dived and fell vertically to the ground."

The forceful impact to the ground killed or seriously injured three adults sitting in the front. A diagram of the injuries at the scene showed the pilot was in seat number one, the male passenger was in seat number two, the female passenger was in seat number three, and four children were in the back.

The pilot and indigenous leader Herman Mendoza Hernández were likely killed instantly. The back seat, where four children were seated, received less impact from the impact.

Two of the three child seats were reportedly secure and in an upright position, while one was loose. The 11-month-old baby was likely being held by his mother and was not seriously injured.

Magdalena Mucutuy Valencia, the children's mother, was seriously injured and lived for about four days after the accident. Before her death, Valencia asked her children to go find help instead of waiting at the scene.

The investigation report reinforced the possibility of their survival, prompting authorities to expand the search for them in Operation Hope. Colombian authorities then believed the children had left the plane and walked through the jungle. Traces later found, including baby bottles, diapers and footprints, supported this belief.

Simulation of the plane crashing into a tree and falling into the forest. Graphics: Colombian Accident Investigation Commission

119 soldiers from Colombia's special forces and 73 indigenous people familiar with the Amazon rainforest terrain were deployed and searched throughout the area.

They used a spotlight mounted on a helicopter hovering in the dark sky to attract the children’s attention, and used a loudspeaker to play a recording of the grandmother’s voice, speaking in the Huitoto language, asking the children to stay put so rescuers could find them. They also taped whistles to tree branches so the children could signal their location if they found them.

President Petro announced on June 9 that soldiers had found all four children alive after more than 40 days in the jungle. Rescuers found them about 5 kilometers west of the crash site.

That same night, military helicopters were deployed to the scene to take the children to a military hospital, where they are recovering.

Hong Hanh (According to CNN )

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