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Plane Crash Survivor Says, "I’m so lucky to survive."
By
Jen Chung
Published Nov 11, 2006
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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By
Jen Chung
Published Nov 11, 2006
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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The woman who was badly burned after the plane carrying Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle and flight instructor Tyler Stanger crashed into her 30th floor apartment finally left the hospital yesterday. Ilane Benhuri, who had the most serious burns among the people injured from the crash, had walked to New York Hospital with the help of her housekeeper immediately after the October 11 crash. She underwent operations and many skin grafts over the past month. After her release, Benhuri spoke to reporters yesterday about her ordeal:
Everything from outside, the windows and the walls and everything, with a big explosion, came just right into me and it threw me up in the air and threw me down in all the debris...
I crawled over the debris and crawled out not looking back. I could not stop screaming. I was in shock. I didn't know what it was...
I fell down. At first I thought I was dead. I touched myself, just to make sure I was alive. And then I touched my body and all my skin and flesh came to my hand...
I’m so happy that I’m out. I’m so happy that I’m alive and I’m so happy to come out and see the sky again and all the people around me. I’m so grateful that I survived this tragic accident. I’m so lucky to survive. I’m just unhappy for those two young people who have died.
She also thanked her doctors and nurses for their work. Benhuri did note that the city didn't "even [send] me a card to make me feel good, just to wish me a fast recovery."
In the video showing Benhuri leaving the hospital, she has some trouble walking. And during her statement, you can see she is truly very sad and relieved to be alive. Her husband Parviz Benhuri said, "It's one in a million that a plane hits a building [and] one in a billion that it goes into her room." And her lawyer Robert Sullivan said that they would be suing Lidle's estate and the FAA (the airplane insurance is expected to cover the damages, apparently); Sullivan also blamed the FAA for allowing planes to fly at such low levels in the city.
When asked if she would return to the apartment, she said she was not sure. They are now living with friends.
Photograph of Ilana Benhuri by Verena Dobnik/AP
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Cory Lidle
crash
explosion
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Ilana Benhuri
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Yankees
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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