logo

Guy who missed his flight survived Lion Air plane crash only due to traffic

Razia Meer
Oct 29, 2018
01:55 P.M.

For most people, good luck is not quantifiable as a tangible thing, but for one Indonesian man, it has literally been proven to be a matter of life and death.

Advertisement

Sony Setiawan should have been amongst the headcount of Lion Air Flight JT610 on Monday. It's the flight he usually takes with his colleagues to get to Pangkal Pinang.

Instead, Setiawan was caught in traffic and what should have taken him only a short while to reach the airport took an unbelievable three hours longer than normal.

However, six of Setiawan's colleagues, unfortunately, did make the flight on time and were on the plane when it went down in the Java Sea taking 189 souls with it, leaving Setiawan as the unlikely sole survivor due to luck.

Advertisement

Read more on our Twitter account AmoMama USA.

Setiawan, a finance ministry official in Jakarta, was caught up in the city's frustrating traffic congestion and waited an extra three hours to get through a toll gate. This delay ended up saving his life. He said to AFP:

'I usually take (flight) JT610 - my friends and I always take this plane [...] I don't know why the traffic at the toll road was so bad. I usually arrive in Jakarta at 3am but this morning I arrived at the airport at 6:20 and I missed the flight.'

Advertisement

Setiawan was unaware that anything untoward had happened to his colleagues when he boarded a later flight to Pangkal Pinang on a different airline.

Journalists surrounded him when he arrived safely at his destination and he said that he cried upon hearing the news of the devastating tragedy that had befallen the Boeing 737.

'The first time I heard I cried. I know my friends were on that flight.'

Advertisement

His family, assuming that he had made his flight, as usual, feared the worst about his safety. His first call after landing was to them, reassuring his mother and grief-stricken family that he was okay.

'My family was in shock and my mother cried, but I told them I was safe, so I just have to be grateful.'

Flight JT610 left Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on time only to vanish from radar moments later. Then the Boeing 737 plunged 5,000ft into the Java Sea, taking its 189 passengers to a watery grave.

Advertisement

Novie Riyanto, an air transport official, said that the pilot had requested to return to Jakarta a couple of minutes after take off. Ten minutes later, the plane was gone.

All onboard are feared dead and rescuers have the grim job of trying to recover the passengers' bodies from among the crash debris. Body bags line Tanjung Priok Harbour as well as a dozen ambulances in a race against time.

Over 300 rescue personnel consisting of soldiers and local police are working alongside fishermen to recover the personal belongings and body parts of the victims.

Advertisement

After a plane crash over Cuba in May this year saw more than a hundred fatalities., people worldwide have begun demanding that older planes are taken off the roster due to their malfunctions.

While it is unknown what exactly went wrong with Flight JT610, the pilot's request to turn back makes for speculation that he encountered a technical glitch too.

President Joko Widodo asked Indonesians to pray for the victims of this tragedy, among whom were one child and two babies.

Sony Setiawan meanwhile has to live with the survivor's guilt that comes from being spared the tragic fate that took his colleagues and so many others.

Advertisement
info
Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories!
By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy
Advertisement
Related posts

Am I Wrong for Refusing to Volunteer as a Doctor on a Flight?

December 29, 2023

21-Year-Old Alaska Airlines Passenger Reportedly Sent Text Message to Her Parents When Plane Door Blew Out

January 10, 2024

Arrogant Man Insults Woman at the Airport, Unaware She’d Save His Life Hours Later – Story of the Day

February 13, 2024

Spoiled Teen Mocks Stewardess Not Knowing His Rich Dad Has Been Watching Him – Story of the Day

January 15, 2024

Plane Crashes near Shopping Center in Texas – Witness Says There Were ‘Flames Everywhere’

November 22, 2023

Millionaire Mocks Poor Woman with 3 Kids on Business Class Flight until Pilot Interrupts Him — Story of the Day

February 06, 2024

Rude Man Insults Woman at Airport, Unaware She’ll Teach Him the Most Brilliant Lesson Ever – Story of the Day

January 18, 2024

Wife's Secret Note to Flight Attendant Leads to Heartwarming Announcement on the Plane

January 22, 2024

After Husband's Death, Stewardess Runs into Man Who Looks Exactly like Him on the Plane — Story of the Day

February 01, 2024

Business Class Passengers Mock Poor Old Lady, at the End of the Flight Pilot Addresses Her – Story of the Day

February 15, 2024

Stewardess Bans Arab Guy from Boarding Plane Unaware He’s New Airline Owner – Story of the Day

December 08, 2023

Man Mocks Boy Reading Aloud on Plane, Begs Pardon by the End of the Flight — Story of the Day

March 22, 2024

Stewardess Bans Arab Man from Boarding Plane Unaware He’s New Airline Owner – Story of the Day

November 07, 2023

Mariska Hargitay Shows Rarely-Seen Son at 17 & Fans Are Divided over Whether He's a Copy of Mom or Dad

January 08, 2024