Summer, 2007. Florida.
Jamie Hull was flying solo at 1,000 feet when his engine suddenly ignited. Flames tore through the cockpit. Thick smoke swallowed the cabin. There was no checklist long enough for this moment.
He forced the burning plane lower, fighting for control. But a safe landing wasn’t possible.
At roughly 15 feet above the ground, with the aircraft still moving, Hull climbed onto the wing and jumped.
Seconds later, the plane exploded behind him.
He survived — barely.
A 5% Chance
Third-degree burns covered more than 60% of his body. Doctors reportedly gave him just a 5% chance of living.
What followed wasn’t a headline moment. It was months of agony.
Hull spent six months in intensive care. He endured more than 60 surgeries. Skin grafts. Rehabilitation. Pain few can imagine. Survival became a daily decision.
Most people who survive something like that never want to see a cockpit again.
Hull did the opposite.
Back to the Sky
After years of recovery, he retrained as a pilot and returned to flying.
Not because he had to.
Because he refused to let fear write the final chapter of his life.
The explosion lasted seconds.
The rebuilding lasted years.