Jet's Turkey near miss joins flying's great escape stories

When a jet skidded off a Turkish runway and dangled precariously off a cliff, the 168 people on board became one of aviation’s great escape stories.

There were no casualties in Sunday’s incident, which was hailed as a ‘miracle’ by survivors.

And while there has been high profile disasters in recent history, Neil Hansford, chairman of Australia-based Strategic Aviation Solutions, told Nine.com.au air travel is still the safest mode of travel.

“Last year’s statistics show no one died on a civil jet aircraft. And you have to remember there are about 100,000 daily flights worldwide,” Hansford said.

“Air travel has never been safer and that includes across routes in the developing world.”

Despite planes having a remarkable safety record, there are times when luck and skilled pilots save the day.

These are some of the greatest crash landings ever witnessed.

US Airways A320 lands in the Hudson River

On January 15, 2009, veteran American pilot Chesley Sullenberger ditched his packed Airbus A320 airliner into New York’s freezing Hudson River. 

The emergency began when the plane collided with a flock of geese and some were sucked into the engines.

Sullenberger decided to return to the airport but was forced to ditch into the river when he realised he was losing height dramatically.

After his textbook water landing, 155 passengers were evacuated on life rafts and picked up by nearby ferries and river traffic. The incident was turned into Hollywood blockbuster Sully, starring Tom Hanks.

DHL Airbus A300 surives missile attack

The cargo plane was hit by a shoulder-launched missile about 2500 metres above war-torn Iraq after leaving Baghdad airport. The missile had struck a fuel tank, sparking a fire on the wing.

Despite losing control of the aircraft’s landing system, the pilot turned back to make a crash landing. Fifteen minutes later the Airbus landed heavily on the runway before it veered off and crashed through a razorwire fence.

The crew of three jumped clear of the wreckage and began to run but were stopped by shouting ground staff. They had landed in a minefield.

Air hostess survives 10km plunge after airliner breaks up

Yugoslav Airlines air hostess Vesna Vulovic was aboard a Douglas DC-9 passenger jet on January 26, 1972, when it blew up high above the then Czechoslovakia.

While the other 27 people aboard the stricken plane died, Vulovic survived the 10km plunge to the ground. It is believed she became wedged between the tail of the jet and a food trolley.

She was listed in the Guinness Book of Records in 1985 for the “the highest fall survived without a parachute”.

It was suspected a bomb was planted aboard the flight but no arrests were ever made.

Vulovic died in 2016.

The Gimli Glider

On July 23, 1983, the crew flying Air Canada Flight 143 were shocked to find their Boeing 767-233 had run out of fuel at 12,500 metres.

With power quickly failing and control of instruments become ever harder, the pilot, Captain Robert Pearson, drew on his glider flying background to try and land the plane.

He put down safely at Gimli Industrial Park, a former air force base in Manitoba, landing alongside a go cart meeting.

“We hit with a thump,” Capt. Pearson, told the National Post in 2013. “That was the only scary part of the trip — when I looked up and there were three boys on bikes further down the runway.”

An investigation later revealed a fuel miscalculation had caused the emergency.

The legend of the Gimli Glider was born.

Pan American Flight 6 ditches into the sea

On October 16, 1956, a propeller-driven Pan Am Stratocruiser encountered engine trouble on its flight from Hawaii to San Francisco.

Calculating the four-engine aircraft did not have enough fuel to reach its destination, the pilot decided to ditch in the Pacific Ocean.

But on hitting the water, one wing struck a swell, causing the tail to break off.

Despite this, all 31 people aboard survived the emergency landing.