Harrison Ford's dramatic crash-landing of a vintage WWII single-engine aircraft onto a Los Angeles golf course was certainly the most shocking piece of news yesterday. Maybe just as shocking (and definitely relieving) was that the Indiana Jones/Star Wars/Blade Runner icon escaped with only minor injuries. As we all know, too many celebrities, especially musicians—Buddy Holly, John Devner, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Aaliyah and more—have perished in aviation accidents . Fortunately, a fair amount of musicians have also managed to escape from potential disaster when trips go awry. Here are five musicians who managed to escape potentially fatal accidents in the air.
Lynyrd Skynyrd (1977)
This may seem like a sick joke to fans of classic Lynyrd Skynyrd, but the truth of the matter is that the 1997 crash that killed vocalist Ronnie Van Zandt and guitarist Steve Gaines (as well as several others among the crew and manager Dean Kilpatrick), it could have been even worse. The five other recording members of the band survived, albeit all had serious injuries. Only one member, drummer Artimus Pyle, was able to walk away from the crash, but bassist Leon Wilkeson almost required the amputation of both of his arms. Fortunately Pyle and a crew member were able to get help and no other disasters, such as a fire, affected the wreck. History could have also been far different if Aerosmith's management hadn't decided earlier that year that the plane and its crew were of debatable quality. The band was traveling from Greenville, SC to Baton Rouge, LA.
Ed Robertson of the Barenaked Ladies (2008)
Ed Robertson of the Barenaked Ladies, like Ford, has his own pilot's license and was flying a Cessna float plane near Bancroft, a popular tourist town in Ottawa, when he lost airspeed and brought the plane down, narrowly avoiding trees (but still clipping them with the wings) as it went down. The plane reportedly settled at an uncomfortable angle, with its nose pointing at an almost 90-degree angle into the ground, although its drop had been cushioned by the canopy of the forest. Robertson and his wife, as well as a pair of friends, all scrambled out of the plane without any serious injury.
Travis Barker and DJ A.M. (2008)
Lynyrd Skynyrd weren't the last musicians to fly out of South Carolina and experience trouble unfortunately. In a case that gathered more headlines than most of the accidents on this list, a plane carrying Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker and Adam "DJ A.M." Goldstein struck the runway lights at Columbia Metropolitan Airport after its tire blew out and crashed to the ground, skidding across a highway. Barker and Goldstein were the only two of the six onboard to escape the plane, although both experienced third degree burns, with Barker later recounting how all of his clothing burned off of his body. Understandably, Barker now refuses to fly (part of the reason for the ongoing conflict with Tom Delonge was Barker's refusal to travel with Blink to Australia) but things ended up far worse for the other survivor: Goldstein would die less than a year after the accident, due to an overdose on multiple substances, including the prescription painkillers he received following the crash.
Paul McCartney (2012)
This incident didn't get as much press until far after it happened because very few people were even aware it had happened, and Macca wasn't looking to make a media spectacle out of it. He and his wife Nancy Shavell had chartered a Sikorsky helicopter to fly them back home to his East Sussex when the pilot apparently became disoriented upon descent, missed the landing pad entirely and almost crashed into the nearby woods, pulling up a reported two feet before colliding with the trees. The helicopter successfully landed at a nearby airport instead. Part of the reason why McCartney was loathe to give a quote was that the Department of Transport categorized the crash as a "serious incident" and immediately began an investigation.
Bono (2014)
The U2 frontman lived the intense plane crash scene from Fight Club is descriptions are to be believed. As his Lear jet from Dublin to Berlin approached the German border, the door of the aircraft tore off, which we can only imagine is loud and terrifying. Fortunately the plane was able to continue and land safely. Although a spokesperson stated that the vocalist "cheated death," it seemed that the reaper wasn't done trying. Less than a week later was when Bono had his brutal bicycling accident in Central Park, requiring immediate surgery and potentially costing the performer his ability to play the guitar.
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