Corporate flight attendant Sydney Bosmans was honored with the Above and Beyond Award for Heroic Achievement by NBAA during a special reception this week for her quick thinking and life-saving actions during the February 9 Hop-A-Jet Challenger 604 crash near Naples, Florida. The accident claimed the lives of both pilots, Edward Daniel Murphy and second-in-command Ian Frederick Hofmann. Thanks to Bosmans’ professionalism and training, she was able to save the two passengers on board.
After the pilots reported a dual-engine flameout, the Bombardier Challenger 604 jet had to make an emergency landing on the southbound lanes of Interstate 75. The aircraft collided with a concrete sound barrier. Due to the impact, the main cabin door had become stuck, and the over-wing exit was blocked by a post-crash fire.
Bosmans quickly directed the two passengers to exit through a small baggage door at the rear of the aircraft. The trio managed to escape the wreckage just moments before a secondary explosion consumed the aircraft’s fuselage in flames, according to NBAA.
During the award presentation, Bosmans spoke publicly about the crash for the first time, delivering an emotional speech that touched on her experience, the pilots who perished, and her ongoing journey to recovery.
“This award would have not been possible without my beloved pilots, Ed and Ian—who I know are in the room right now making sure I don’t mess this whole speech up—and my passengers, who took initiative themselves and enabled us to work together that day,” she said.
Bosmans also took a moment to acknowledge the loss of the two pilots, leading the room in a moment of silence. “May we honor them and send our love and blessings to their families,” she said.
She described the trauma she continues to endure, explaining that while it has been eight months since the crash, it still feels like yesterday. She spoke candidly about the emotional and psychological toll the event has taken on her, including the struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Post-Traumatic Stress Takes its Toll
“There are many days I still can’t believe I survived something like this. And then there are the days where I wish I hadn’t survived, the days where I wish I had perished with my pilots. I’m told this is normal for PTSD,” Bosmans shared.
She emphasized the reality that comes with surviving such a traumatic event. “My entire reality blew up when that plane did. Everything I thought I knew, all the plans I had, all the things that I had built up around my identity to keep me safe were gone just like that.”
Despite her struggles, Bosmans stressed the importance of her safety training and how it ultimately saved lives that day. She used her speech as a platform to advocate for higher safety standards and proper training for all corporate flight attendants, acknowledging the role that training played in her ability to act in the face of disaster.
“If I hadn’t made the personal and professional development 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 had to deal with burying the charred remains of what was left of their 27-year-old daughter,” she said.
Bosmans also pointed out that safety training is not required for corporate flight attendants, a reality that many in the industry may not be aware of. She urged the business aviation community to reevaluate their safety practices and ensure that flight attendants are empowered to act as essential members of the crew, rather than just as cabin servers with no safety functions.
“Most people think something like this will never happen to them. And of course, I never thought this would happen to me either. But if it happened to me, it could happen to you,” she said.
Bosmans called for change within the industry, particularly in the way flight attendants are trained and how their roles are viewed. “We are just scratching the surface with these inquiries. It goes much deeper. Our industry uses accidents like ours to make improvements in aircraft and other aviation standards. And it’s my sincere hope that we can stop looking the other way on these matters,” she said.
“I know that I survived for many reasons, and while I have no clue how it looks, I know in my heart that I am meant to play a role in this,” she said. Her speech concluded with her saying, “This is not just for my pilots and passengers; this is for the entire flight attendant community. I love you all.”