John Travolta's Heart-Stopping Encounter: A 1992 Flight That Nearly Ended It All

In 1992, John Travolta had a near-death experience while piloting a plane, which he credits as the inspiration for his role in the new Disney+ short film "The Shepherd." The film follows the story of a young pilot dealing with electrical failure mid-air, a storyline that closely mirrors Travolta's own harrowing experience.

During a Q&A in London on Thursday, Travolta recounted a harrowing incident where he experienced a complete electrical failure while piloting a jet over Washington D.C. with his family. "I knew what it felt like to absolutely think you're going to die," he said. "I had two good jet engines but I had no instruments, no electric, nothing. And I thought it was over." According to Variety, this was a terrifying experience for the actor.

He described his safe landing as miraculous, ultimately drawing Travolta to "The Shepherd," based on Frederick Forsyth's 1975 book of the same name. In the short film, Travolta portrays a good samaritan who assists a young pilot (Ben Radcliffe) in safely navigating a situation where his radio and electric power are cut off, leaving him stranded with limited fuel.

Travolta praised Radcliffe for his portrayal of despair in the face of death, and expressed his deep connection to "The Shepherd" due to its themes of the preciousness of life and the struggle between life and death.

"The Shepherd" will be available to stream on Disney+ on December 1.