Lucky passengers who escaped the ill-fated MH17
A honeymooning couple from Adelaide is shedding a sigh of relief after escaping the ill-fated MH17 to Kuala Lumpur not once – but twice.
The Malaysia Airlines flight crashed in eastern Ukraine and rumored to have been shot down whilst flying at an altitude of 10,000 meters by pro-Russian separatists.
Australian newly-weds Simone La Posta and her husband Juan Jovel told ABC Radio how she twice came close to being on the plane.
“We flew into Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam on the MH17 flight, the day before, so it’s a bit surreal to think that, you know, one day later and I wouldn’t be standing here talking to you right now,” she said.
“We originally had our itinerary to be on that (MH17) flight, but then we changed it thinking we’d be too jet-lagged for work on Monday,” she told the ABC host.
“Then there was another chance we could’ve been on that flight when we got to Schiphol Airport on Wednesday to check in they’d overbooked that flight — so we were on standby and we only found out literally a minute before the boarding closed that we were actually going to be leaving that day.”
The woman was not aware of the plane coming down until she landed.
“I’ve got some really close girlfriends from Holland who messaged me while I was in the air, so I don’t know how soon after takeoff it happened, but it seemed the Malaysian Airlines staff didn’t know anything,” she said.
“They did not seem to have the slightest clue, we actually mentioned it to one flight attendant and she seemed genuinely shocked.”
Mike Bullot from New Zealand also narrowly missed being placed on the flight.
The lucky sailor arrived to check in for the MH17 flight on 16th July – the day before the tragedy. He was however told that his flight was overbooked. Having being placed on standby he was informed by staff that if a seat was not to arise he would be placed on the same flight the following day – the flight that was ultimately shot down killing all 295 passengers and crew on board.
In a Facebook post Mr Bullot stressed how lucky he was where so many others had lost their lives.
"It's a good day to be alive. Arriving at check-in for flight MH0017 on the 16th July being told flight was overbooked and I'm placed on standby.
“Standing at gate with some 20-30 other people hoping for a seat and boarding pass. I get mine a few minutes before the gate closes.”
“Too many what-ifs to think about right now. Wondering how many of those behind me in line were pushed back a day..."
Married couple Barry and Izzy Sim from Scotland who were travelling with their small baby had also been booked to travel on flight MH17 and narrowly missed the flight.
They told the UK’s Telegraph that they rebooked to another flight after they realized the flight was full.
Similar to Mr Bullot’s experience it was mere chance that meant they evaded being passengers on the flight.
“You get this sick feeling in the pit of your stomach,” Mr Sim told one reporter, “we started getting butterflies. Your heartbeat starts going.”
"There must have been someone watching over us and saying ‘you must not get on that flight’.”
Having only discovered the fate of MH17 whilst on the way to the airport the pair are reticent about getting on another flight but believe they should “go about their life”.
“In my mind lightning never strikes twice in the same place so I am still philosophical that you get on the flight and you go about your life,” Mr Sim said.
“I know my wife doesn’t feel like that. Probably the last thing she wants to do now is fly, especially to Kuala Lumpur.”
Many of the potential passengers of MH17 have come forward to share their near-miss stories.
