Sole survivor of plane crash that killed 112 explains her last moments before she was left widowed and paralyzed
Malien Diaz Almaguer was one of 113 people on board a commercial plane that went down in a fiery ball of flames seven years ago, but unlike the other 112 passengers and crew, she survived.
On May 18, 2018, the then 19-year-old was accompanied by her husband when the domestic Cubana de Aviación flight 0972 crashed into a farm on the outskirts of the Cuban capital of Havana, shortly after taking off from José Martí International Airport, less than two miles away.
Malien, now 26, had been visiting the bustling capital, located on the west coast of the Caribbean's largest island, to complete paperwork with her partner before returning to their hometown of Holguín, a city which is located on the east of Cuba - a 10-hour drive from Havana.
However, her horror unfolded just 40 seconds after takeoff.
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The flight was scheduled to depart at 11am local time - but the aircraft was doomed prior to the 113 passengers and crew boarding.
That was due to discrepancies in the weight and balance distribution that had been calculated, compared to the actual configuration of the plane. Due to this, the center of gravity was calculated at 17.4 percent, but in actual fact, it was 28.5 percent - just 0.5 percent off its rear limit.
On top of this, the horizontal stabiliser trim - which allows the pilot to maintain a stable and balanced flight attitude with minimal control input - was set 2.5 units higher than it should have been.
At 12pm, the cockpit was given the green light for the runway. But immediately after lift-off, the plane banked right and left multiple times before losing speed, before going into an uncontrollable descent and crashing, killing everyone but Malien on board.
"For me, the accident and everything that followed has been the greatest test I've ever been through. It marked a before and after in my life," Malien told UNILAD in an exclusive interview.
Following the collision, it was discovered that the plane was a 39-year-old Boeing 737-201 Advanced - the average age of aircrafts in the commercial aviation industry is around 11 to 12 years.
As well as losing her husband in the crash - which occurred due to human error - she also sustained a C6 to C7 spinal cord injury that has left her paralyzed, as well as losing her left leg from the knee down, and was burdened with trauma that only few people in the world understand.
That's not to mention the survivor's guilt that came from it.
"Looking at it from different perspectives, I can say that it wasn't easy to realize one day that your health was very delicate, that you had to face multiple treatments and medical procedures daily to survive," the defiant Cuban, who has lived in Havana since the accident, explained.
"Being very young at only 19 years old, my plans had literally been destroyed, and now it was time to escape from the seriousness.
"From my point of view, now, after seven years, I don't see life the same way I did before. I'm grateful for everything that happens in my life, even the things that don't seem good. I enjoy every detail, no matter how small, and above all, I give thanks and glory to God for everything."
"I don't remember anything from that moment," Malien told UNILAD. "My memories of that day are very limited. I remember some details inside the airport, but I don't remember anything from when I was on board."
While she may not be able to recall anything from the collision herself, she chalks her survival down to one thing - the intervention of God.
"God has had and still has plans for my life. He has been my driving force to overcome each of life's challenges from the moment I met Him."
Topics: Travel, World News, Religion
Joe Yates