‘We’re bracing for impact’: How 3 people survived the Naples I-75 plane crash

NAPLES, Fla.--A plane crash that seemed to spare no one turned into a miracle for three survivors, as revealed in interviews conducted by the Collier County Sheriff's Office just hours after the incident.

Passengers Audra Green, Aaron Baker, and flight attendant Sydney Bosmans made it out alive.

"I feel like it was at the perfect time," said Bosmans during her interview with investigators. "Because flames were like coming under the door as we were getting out."

Before the flight even took off, Bosmans said Baker and Green had a bad feeling about it, according to their statements to investigators. Green explained one reason why.

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"We typically always fly with NetJets," said Green. "And we’ve never flown on a non-NetJets plane before. Since today was such a high travel day, they switched our plane. And we were flying, I think it was with Hop-A-Jet."

The change in aircraft and operator unnerved the passengers, who usually did not have a flight attendant on board. Baker recalled another unsettling moment in his statement.

"We got turbulence very high up, which is kind of weird," said Baker.

Green added, "We never get nervous on flights. And both of us looked at each other like we’re not going to put any bad juju. We felt all this crazy turbulence, and we were like, nothing’s wrong."

Then, the situation took a serious turn. Bosmans knew immediately there was trouble, as she recounted to the deputies.

"A couple buttons started coming up," said Bosmans. "And then I hear Ed [the pilot] go, 'We’re in an emergency right now. Both engines have failed.'"

Bosmans relied on her training and muscle memory as the situation escalated.

"I went in the back, buckled up in the off seat," said Bosmans. "I looked at the passengers and said, 'This is your brace position. Get in the brace position now.'"

Green remembered the urgency of the moment.

"She came running back and said, 'We’re bracing for impact,'" said Green. "She showed us what to do. And then we hit."

They described multiple impacts followed by the ground and then fire. Smoke filled the cabin quickly, according to their accounts.

"I tried the front door," said Bosmans. "And like, there’s orange, there’s flames everywhere. It really was engulfing pretty quickly. So I tried the window, couldn’t get that door. So then I go to the back. And they were back there."

Baker went to the back of the plane, where the luggage is loaded.

"I was kicking it, pushing my shoulder into it," said Baker. "I finally was able to open it just a crack."

Green described the escape.

"Then we all just jumped out," said Green. "And then the plane pretty much went up right after that."

An explosion occurred just seconds after they cleared the aircraft. Tragically, the two pilots did not survive. Edward Daniel Murphy, 50, and Ian Frederick Hofmann, 65, are considered heroes for safely landing the plane on the side of the interstate during rush hour, avoiding hitting several people on the road.

Bosmans had safety training that she was not required to have.

She now advocates for higher safety standards and was honored by the National Business Aviation Association with the Above and Beyond Award. In her speech, she said, "If I hadn’t made the personal and professional decision to invest in proper safety training for my role, it would have resulted in five souls lost that day and my parents would have been burying what was left of their 27-year-old daughter."

Hop-A-Jet has filed a lawsuit against General Electric, Bombardier, and maintenance companies, alleging engine corrosion and insufficient inspections.