Sosoliso plane crash: Okwuchi marks 19 years of survival, dedicates life to classmates

A survivor of the Sosoliso plane crash, Kechi Okwuchi has taken to social media to mark the 19th anniversary of the incident, saying she dedicated herself to living for her schoolmates.

The America’s Got Talent 2017 star was a 16-year-old student in Nigeria when she boarded the plane that crashed and killed 107 people in 2005.
She and one other person were the only survivors.

After a series of lifesaving surgeries, Okwuchi, in 2015, graduated with a first-class degree from the University of Saint Thomas, in Houston, Texas.

Reflecting on the incident, Okwuchi, in a recent Instagram post said she hoped the victims’ loved ones take pride in her.

“December 10, 2024 is the 19th anniversary of the Sosoliso plane crash. So much time has passed and I’ve come such a long way…this day is always an introspective one for me,” she wrote.

“This year, I have their loved ones in my heart the most. I hope their loved ones take pride in me, in my accomplishments, big and small. I thank them for their unwavering support these past 19 years.

“When the accident happened, they saw my survival as a beacon of light in a terribly dark time. They wrote letters to me, rooted for me, prayed incessantly for me. This is why I chose to dedicate my life to their children – my fellow classmates, the 60 Angels.

“I chose to live on behalf of myself and everyone else that was lost in that plane crash, but most specifically, to live in a way that would make the Angels and those that they left behind proud,” she declared.