Article #375
by Bill Nugent
Norman Wayne Williams was a born-again Christian from the age of seven. In late March of 1977 Norman and a business associate boarded a plane in Los Angeles and headed to the Canary Islands which is located just off the northwest coast of Africa.
The plane refueled in New York and crossed the Atlantic to Las Palmas, Canary islands. However, because of a bomb scare at Las Palmas, the plane was diverted 50 miles away to an island called Tenerife which is part of the Canary Islands.
There were several other jumbo Jets at the small airport on Tenerife. The airport is difficult for pilots to manage and it’s located at the base of a 12,000 ft dormant volcano. The Pan Am 747 jet on which Norman Williams and his associate were on had to wait more than 4 hours. During that time a very dense fog settled on the island and its airport.
Confusion on the Runway Because of Heavy Fog
The plane was given permission to taxi for takeoff. There was a Dutch KLM jet, also a 747, that was in position to take off at the far end of the runway. The fog was extremely dense and caused communication problems. The KLM pilot thought he had permission to take off. He did not. He went down the runway at take-off speed not knowing that the American Pan Am jet was taxiing across the runway.
The KLM pilot desperately raised the nose of his jet to go over the Pan Am jet. The nose did go over the Pan Am jet but the landing gear struck the jet broadside and ripped it in two. The fuel tanks of the KLM jet also opened and poured thousands of gallons of jet fuel all over the wreckage of the Pan Am jet.
Surrounded by Flames
Norman Williams was sitting just 8 feet behind the spot where the landing gear ripped through the fuselage. Instantly the fuel ignited and a firestorm of burning fuel engulfed the entire section where Norman was seated. Norman was surrounded by people burning to death. He cried out “Jesus! Jesus!” The Lord Jesus heard his cry for help. Norman was led by the Spirit of God from that moment.
It reminds us of the story in the Old Testament book of Daniel in which the three Hebrew associates of Daniel the prophet were rescued from the fiery furnace. “Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God” (Daniel 3:25).
Oddly enough, during this time of chaos and desperation he remembered his mother’s prayers for him just before he left on the trip. His mom had prayed with him for a safe trip and it started out as a kind of a routine prayer but then the Spirit of intercession came upon her and she wept profusely as she prayed for Norman. She didn’t understand and neither did Norman, the gravity of the situation he would encounter on the trip.
Though surrounded by fire, Norman’s mental faculties were clear. He was able to think rationally and the Lord impressed upon him many Bible verses and he spoke them out loudly. One that particularly came to mind was in the 43rd chapter of Isaiah:
“When thou passeth through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee” (Isaiah 43:2).
All the people in the section where Norman sat were burned to death. Only Norman survived.
Norman yelled out: “I stand upon the word!” He continued and repeatedly cried out: “I stand upon the word! I stand upon the word!” Peace came over him. At this point, which was just seconds after the plane was cut in two and the flames were all around him, he saw something flying towards him. He never knew what that was, whether it was a part of the landing gear of the KLM Jet or a seat. Whatever it was, it came towards him and hit him frontally and pushed him down. He was on his back.
Amazingly, Norman Escaped Through a Hole in the Top of the Plane
He looked up and saw a huge hole in the top of the fuselage. Immediately he went up through the hole in the top of the plane. This is bizarre and amazing and no doubt miraculous. The 747 jumbo jet is huge and the ceiling of it must be 8 or 10 feet high and then who knows how much space there is above the ceiling to the top of the fuselage.
How did he get up there so fast to escape the flames? He found himself there on the top of the plane and he ran over and jumped on the wing. He went out on the wing and jumped off the wing a considerable distance to the ground. He immediately got some distance away from the plane. He had no burns on his body, and his clothes were not even singed!!
593 Dead, Only 70 Survived
All the people on the KLM jet died. There were more than 200 on that plane. There were only 70 survivors from the Pan Am jet. The total number of fatalities was 593 which is more than in any other plane crash.
People from the surrounding villages ran out to the landing strip and were extremely heroic and self-sacrificing in their rescue of injured people. Norman was rescued by a man who took him in his car and drove him very quickly to a hospital.
He had only cuts and bruises and injury to his left foot from the jump off the wing of the plane. Other people had horrific Burns and other serious injuries. The hospital staff worked tirelessly to save the lives of the people who were injured.
Amazingly, they didn’t charge any money for their services. They didn’t even charge the insurance companies of the people whom they served. They were so moved with compassion that they completely rejected any payment.
The American government sent planes from Germany to take the survivors back to the United States.
Norman has said that he’s had no post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). He’s not had even one bad dream.
Norman Returned to the Canary Islands
Norman quickly recovered from his injuries. One year later he returned to the Canary Islands and he spoke about the miracles that saved his life. The people were amazed at the goodness of God! About 250 people responded to the Gospel message presented by Norman Williams. They made commitments to receive Christ as Savior and follow him as Lord. They came to salvation!
Norman has said that salvation is the greatest miracle of all. Salvation is forgiveness of sins and entrance into heaven in the afterlife. Salvation is receiving forgiveness from God and making peace with God.
The God of Miracles
God speaks through miracles. God created the universe. That’s quite a miracle. The miracles that people have experienced, including the miracle of Norman Williams, are very easy for God to perform. Jesus worked miracles during the time he spoke to His disciples in Galilee and in Judea nearly 2,000 years ago.
Miracles continue to this day among Christ’s followers. God even used me to work a healing miracle in 1994 when I prayed over a woman’s leg and it was healed under my hands. There’s also the miracle of tongues (also called glossolalia). This is where people who have not studied a foreign language are able to speak it instantly.
Pagan religions have deceptive magic. The Christian faith is backed by God’s miracles.
Another class of miracles is fulfillment of prophecy. The Old Testament prophets foretold the coming of the Messiah. (Messiah means the same as Christ.) The prophets foretold that the Messiah would suffer horrendously and His sufferings would not be meaningless. The suffering was the Messiah taking the penalty of our sins upon Himself. Christ made atonement for us. This is called substitutionary atonement.
The Buddha did not die for your sins. Brahma did not die for your sins. Only Christ died for your sins.
Jesus Fulfilled Many Prophecies
Jesus Christ fulfilled more than 300 Messianic prophecies that were written in in the Old Testament centuries before He was even born. That’s quite a miracle! Here is one such prophecy from Isaiah, chapter fifty-three: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him [Christ] the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6 circa 700 BC).
Christ died for our sins and rose from the dead in order to obtain forgiveness of sins for us. Christ offers us salvation if we will repent of our sins and turn to him to receive forgiveness of sins. I invite you to turn to Christ today to receive forgiveness of sins.
(c) 2023 William (Bill) Nugent All rights reserved except permission granted to translate, email or republish for Christian outreach.
Steps to salvation:
Jesus said “Ye must be born again” (John 3:7).
Prayer to receive salvation:
“Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).
To receive the salvation that Jesus purchased for us at the terrible cost of His suffering and death on our behalf I invite you to pray this simple prayer:
“Dear heavenly Father, I thank you for sending Jesus, the promised Messiah, to die for my sins. I admit that I am a sinner. I repent of my sins and I ask for your forgiveness on the basis of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I ask you to fill me with your Holy Spirit to empower me to serve you under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, Amen.”
If you prayed this prayer in the humble sincerity of your heart then you have received everlasting life, which includes power to live right in this life and entrance into heaven in the afterlife!