On the 19th of November 2001 at 7:30PM, Mesha Shushan was sitting in seat 18B on Yohanna Airlines Flight 732 from Sydney to Perth. She was sitting next to a humble Scottish woman that was being served by an Australian Flight Attendant. Mesha was very tired, the quiet hum of the engines relaxed her. “Want some?” said the Scottish woman handing Mesha some peanuts “No thanks, I have got nuts waiting for me at home.” The lady laughed. “What were in Sydney for? Asked Mesha quietly “I got off a transfer flight from Scotland. I went to see my mum before she passed away” said the Scottish lady with a slight choke in her voice.
“I am so sorry” said Mesha, “Don’t be, it was a matter of time” the Scottish lady said there was a loud ring from the rear end of the plane, a flight attendant walked to the back and answered the phone. Confidently, she announced “passengers, we are finishing our service and please fasten you’re …”suddenly she was interrupted and thrown across the cabin by a strong jerk. The plane careered the lest, the flight attendant managed to reach her seat and strap in immediately after the seat belt sign came on oxygen masks fell from the overhead compartments. The plane levelled out and the pilot announced that they were experiencing electrical issues and that they will continue the journey.
Soon after, other flight attendants unbuckled from their seats and calmed the passengers. Mesha was shaken but not hurt, she was assured of the planes safely because it has a brand new plane. A while after the right engine made a loud bang and began to shut down. Once again the plane pulled to the left and did a semi flip.
Yohanna, the flight attendant, was lifted and thrown across the aircraft, hitting the left side. Pushed up against a window, Yohanna managed to get on her back. The overhead compartment opened and a leather suitcase hurled towards Yohanna, hitting her in the right leg. The plane once again levelled out, Yohanna limped to the cockpit and spoke to the pilots. The pilots informed Yohanna that engine failure in the right engine caused a hole in the right wing, and that the plane was rapidly losing fuel. “At the rate of fuel loss –“ the pilot said and then paused “we won’t make it to Perth” he concluded.
The plane made sudden drops, within the space of 1 minute, the plane went from 35,000ft to 29,00ft.
The Scottish lady’s nuts dropped and hit the ground. Mesha picked them up and comforted the lady. Within minutes the plane was only 200 meters from the ground. The pilot pulled back on his control stick and pulled back, in a panic he began thrusting the stick back and forward in a panicked rage “Go up you stupid piece of-“
The plane made contact with the ground and killed both pilots instantly. The plane slid for several hundred meters before coming to a halt. Mesha exited through a large opening in the fuselage. She went over to Yohanna and the other flight attendants, all of the flight attendants were deceased expect for Yohanna who was holding onto the supply closet. Yohanna had no more injuries except for a small cut on the head.
Mesha shaked the unconscious Yohanna waking her. “Oh no!” screamed Yohanna “S*** we’ve crashed” Yohanna said running over to the rest of the flaming wreckage to find no-one moving. Bodies were sprawled across the wiring and miscellaneous items. A hand emerged from the wreckage. Yohanna ran over to the hand, she pulled the person from underneath 2 bodies and a chair headrest and took the person to Mesha. “Are you ok?” asked Mesha in a calm tone, “y-y-yes, just a little shaken” the young lady replied.
Mesha returned to the wreckage, she found the Scottish lady was fine but next to her was a young man, he was facedown and breathing. She found difficulty in turing him over, she finally managed to turn him over and found that he was impaled by a chair arm rest. Mesha called Yohanna over and they both tried desperately to save him. Later that day they carried him to a small, shallow river about 250 meters from the crash site. They threw him in, missing the river and hitting a rock on the side. He rolled off the rock and fell down a shallow hole.
Yohanna filled 3 cups, she salvaged from the plane crash, with water and they began walking back. Nightfall was near, away from the wreckage – trying to avoid disease and an explosion, Yohanna lit some jet fuel with a lighter she found in the baggage hold. The fuel ignited with a ball of flames. She boiled the water to remove impurities and diseases.
Mesha meanwhile was building a makeshift shelter, with the assistance of the Scottish lady and the young woman. They made 3 walls out of pieces of fuselage and luggage.
After 2 nights of eating limited staples and rodents. A helicopter approached the wreckage, the thrust of the helicopter reminded the 3 survivors of the powerful smell of the rotting bodies nearby. Breadley (a rescuer) airlifted them to Koyal Perth Hospital, where Doctor Habib Shabham assessed them. “Apart from some minor respitory problems, you are fine to go home” the doctor concluded.
While at home, Yohanna was watching Channel Bread News, the News reported, Mr Maisy Grimshaw, announced that Breadley Hodgie (her rescuer) had flew into a police station. There were no survivors.
