We often hear about tragic accidents that involved fatalities especially if a celebrity was killed. However, not all accidents end in tragedy some are near-escapes that have those involved feeling extremely lucky. Anyone who has been involved in a New Jersey accident and walked away knows exactly what I mean.

There have been many accidents that nearly claimed the lives of noted public figures, but these five accidents are especially surprising because they were all plane accidents. No matter how minor the accident may be with comparison to other plane crashes, the sheer size of a plane makes for a dangerous situation when there is an accident. Air Safe compiled a list of celebrities that have been involved in plane crashes—find out what five celebrities were involved in a plane accident and lived to tell the tale.

1. Harrison Ford

Photo credit: Airport Journals.

While he has played a pilot in several movies, many do not know that Harrison Ford is an actual pilot. While he wasn’t flying a plane at the time, he was training flying a helicopter when he was involved in an accident on October 23, 1999. It was reported that Ford and the pilot he was flying with were forced to make an emergency landing. The helicopter came down and hit a log forcing it to roll onto its side in a dry riverbed. Neither Ford nor the pilot were injured.

2. Barack Obama

Photo credit: Anorak.

While on the road to the White House, then Senator Obama was involved in a plane accident at Midway Airport in Chicago. The airplane he was travelling on arrived at the airport from Nevada where he was attending a campaign engagement. His plane collided with another, unoccupied aircraft while on the ground. While there are measures in place with regards to protecting presidential candidates, there are no clear measures about flight safety. Luckily no one was injured in the accident.

3. Sandra Bullock

Photo credit: Out Blush.

On December 20, 2000, Miss Congeniality Sandra Bullock was on a flight from Texas to Wyoming. It was reported that it was a night flight and there was decreased visibility when the aircraft was attempting to land. It was reported that due to pilot and crew error, the plane missed the runway and instead landed parallel to it causing significant damage to the plane. No one was injured, except the plane.

4. Patrick Swayze

Photo credit: Life.

Another budding pilot was the late Patrick Swayze. On June 1, 2000 the actor was flying a plane with only his two dogs as company when he made an emergency landing in a residential area in Arizona. Reports indicate that he suspected a pressurization problem in his plane when he decided to land. He touched down, bounced off the ground, and was able to get the aircraft down again. As he was trying to come to a stop he crossed an intersection, took out a stop sign, hit a streetlamp, and came to a rest after hitting an electrical utility box. He and the dogs were uninjured, but during the investigation it was found that there was significant tar build-up in the plane from Swayze smoking on board. The final report stated, “The NTSB concluded that the pilot’s physical impairment due to the cumulative effects of carbon monoxide from engine exhaust by-products, carbon monoxide from heavy tobacco use, and the loss of an undetermined amount of cabin pressurization. A factor in the loss of pressurization was a fractured clamp.”

5. Travis Barker

Photo credit: Hip Hop RX.

This one was truly a near-death experience. Travis Barker, best known as the drummer for the band Blink-182, was on a flight on September 19, 2008 along with Adam Goldstein, better known as DJ AM, and two of their representatives. According to the voice recordings recovered from the plane, the crew was attempting to prevent take-off when they feared they had a blown tire. They were not successful in stopping the plane before it took off from Columbia, South Carolina. The aircraft hit several lights and antennas, went through a fence, and crossed a highway before stopping on an embankment. The plane then burst into flames. The two crew members and the two other passengers were all killed, Barker and Goldstein survived the ordeal, but sustained serious burns.

If you or someone you love has been injured in an aircraft crash, contact the New Jersey airplane accident attorneys at Console & Hollawell. We will guide you through the complicated legal process of determining fault in your plane accident and we will ensure that you are properly compensated. Call us today at (866) 778-5500 to set up your free consultation.