Mauro Gallinaro's Story
(Mauro has also shared his story in Italian, click here)

Ours seats were in the 27th or 29th row in the center of the cabin ( not the window side ) and my sensation during take off was strange, I remember looking out of the window thinking "Why doesn't it doesn't lift off ?" A few seconds later an unforgettable landing.
All the lights turned off, hand luggage fell down from top, and I'm sure of it : a deaden sound like a "woof" then the flames along the right side of the fuselage which lit the cabin in an erie orange glow.
I tried to stand up despite the fastened seat belt but my wise friend told me to keep my head down on my knees.
A few  seconds and a big turn to the left later, I remember a  great deceleration (I have a flash back of all the back of the seats going forward) then we stopped. Only a few seconds of an unreal calm, then yells... only yells.
I immediately opened the seat belt and stood up looking for the nearest exit while my friend standing upon his seat was screaming " No Panic... No Panic ". The rear left exit was really near and there was only few persons between us and the door but.... when was opened, in my opinion, there was some fuel dripping from the top of the door (I don't know) anyway the Flight Attendant said to everybody  "go ahead" to the front of the plane. Turning on my place I remembered my camera case under the seat in front of mine and without leaving the aisle  I reached my hand under the seat and grasped it. Running to the front exits with my hands forward and my eyes constantly watching the ceiling of the cabin ( my fear at that moment was a failure of the roof which in my imagination at that time was burning) I found the front exits where I met The Captain and two other Flight Attendants . One of them yelled to me to throw away the bag but the left exit was just a few feet from me so I jumped off the plane as I jumped on my military service 8 years before in para troops . The Toboga was funny (I realized that I was out of the inferno)  the grass was green, the sky blue and the rescue yellow. The firedepartment was there to help us really fast and with my camera case on my hand I thought " I have a camera ...use it !!! "
So in the attachment you can see the few shots taken that day before the JFK staff carried us to the terminal .
That's all....
Sincerely

Mauro Gallinaro