John Travolta recalls 1992 near-death experience while flying a plane
John Travolta[2] opened up about a near-death experience that happened to him back in 1992 at a special screening of his new film, The Shepherd, in London.
During a Q&A session at the premiere of his new movie on Thanksgiving[3], the Grease star, who got his first pilot’s license[4] in 1976, recalled the terrifying time he was flying a corporate jet when he experienced ‘a total electrical failure.’
As he traveled with his family on board from Fort Lauderdale, Florida[5] to Rockland, Maine[6], the 69-year-old actor revealed he learned ‘what it felt like to absolutely think you’re going to die.’
‘I had two good jet engines, but I had no instruments, no electric, nothing. And I thought it was over,’ he said, according to Variety[7].
Looking back: John Travolta opened up about a near-death experience that happened to him back in 1992 during a at a special screening of his new film, The Shepherd, in London on Thanksgiving; seen in 2019
While fearing of crashing to death, the father-of-three, said a ‘miracle’ happened.
‘And then as if by a miracle, we descended as per the rules to lower altitude. I saw the Washington D.C. monument and identified that Washington National Airport was next to it and I made a landing just like [Freddie] does in the film,’ Travolta raved.
The harrowing experience is what inspired him to adapt Frederick Forsyth’s 1975 novel of the same name into a movie.
The Shepherd ‘tells the story of Freddie Hooke (played by Ben Radcliffe), a young Royal Air Force pilot flying home for Christmas across the North Sea.’
According to Variety’s synopsis: ‘Shortly into the journey, his de Havilland Vampire jet suffers total electrical failure, leaving Freddie facing almost certain death’ until a ‘mysterious pilot (played by Travolta) appears in the sky, ready to guide the young man to safety.’
‘When I read [Forsyth’s] book, it resonated even more because of this experience I had personally had,’ the Golden Globe winner explained.
On Nov. 24, 1992, The Washington Post[8] detailed Travolta emergency incident and landing, which blew out ‘the jet’s tires in the process’ of touching down.
While in the air, his plane nearly collided with a Boeing 747, and resulted in ‘flights being ‘briefly suspended’ at four airports.’
Scary: During a Q&A session at the premiere of his new movie, the 69-year-old Grease star, who got his first pilots license in 1976 and is the owner of a Boeing 707, recalled the terrifying time he was flying a corporate jet when he experienced ‘a total electrical failure’ (pictured in 2005)
Fearing the worst: As he traveled with his family on board from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Rockland, Maine, the actor revealed he learned ‘what it felt like to absolutely think you’re going to die’
!['I had two good jet engines, but I had no instruments, no electric, nothing. And I thought it was over,' he said, according to Variety. 'And then as if by a miracle, we descended as per the rules to lower altitude. I saw the Washington D.C. monument and identified that Washington National Airport was next to it and I made a landing just like [Freddie] does in the film'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/11/26/18/55613791-12792969-_I_had_two_good_jet_engines_but_I_had_no_instruments_no_electric-a-9_1701021676255.jpg)
‘I had two good jet engines, but I had no instruments, no electric, nothing. And I thought it was over,’ he said, according to Variety. ‘And then as if by a miracle, we descended as per the rules to lower altitude. I saw the Washington D.C. monument and identified that Washington National Airport was next to it and I made a landing just like [Freddie] does in the film’
His late wife Kelly Preston and their then-seven-month-old son, Jett, alongside four other passengers, were also on board.
Travolta has been flying planes for four decades and owns at least seven including a Boeing 707, Bombardier Challenger 601, Boeing 727 and three Gulfstream jets.
He has also been an ambassador for the Australian aircraft company, Qantas, since 2002.
The New Jersey native began taking flying lessons at age 15 and has been a licensed pilot since he was 22 years old.
Travolta’s sprawling estate outside of Ocala, Florida even includes a private runway and taxiway for his planes.
He was inducted into the Living Legends of Aviation in 2007, and he wrote the book Propeller One-Way Night Coach, following a young boy’s first flight.
References
- ^ Deirdre Durkan-simonds For Dailymail.com (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ John Travolta (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Thanksgiving (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ pilot’s license (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Florida (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Maine (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Variety (variety.com)
- ^ The Washington Post (www.washingtonpost.com)