The two flights that almost killed Leonardo DiCaprio: “The entire wing exploded in a fireball”
With a job that requires them to travel all around the globe and shoot in a variety of locations on virtually every continent, a fear of flying isn’t conducive to an extensive acting career. Leonardo DiCaprio has no issues taking to the skies, even though he’d be well within his rights to keep his feet firmly on the ground.
The star has touched down in a multitude of nations for personal and professional reasons as both an A-list performer and staunch environmentalist, even if there’s an element of irony to be found in somebody so dedicated to safeguarding the future of the planet racking up serious air miles for gigs that pay millions of dollars.
Still, one near-death experience would be enough to swear most people out of ever soaring at 30,000 feet ever again, never mind two. And yet, DiCaprio suffered two very different but equally hair-raising incidents in midair but didn’t let either of them dissuade him from dusting off his passport.
What’s the easiest way to guarantee a person immediately becomes highly unlikely to board a plane for the rest of their days? There’s no concrete answer, but sitting in a window seat and watching an engine explode has definitely got to be up there. Not DiCaprio, though, who seemed to take it all in his stride.
Speaking to Wired, the Academy Award winner revealed that “an engine blew up right in front of my eyes,” but he didn’t panic. Or at least, that’s the way he made it sound, even if it would be entirely acceptable for DiCaprio to be in desperate need of new underpants.
“I was sitting there looking out at the wing, and the entire wing exploded in a fireball,” he recalled. “I was the only one looking out at the moment this giant turbine exploded like a comet. It was crazy. They shut all the engines off for a couple of minutes, so you’re just sitting there gliding with absolutely no sound, and nobody in the plane was saying anything. It was a surreal experience.”
One emergency landing later, and everything was perfectly fine. DiCaprio’s second dicey time didn’t happen inside a plane, but rather, after he jumped out of one. Taking part in a tandem skydive, the primary parachute malfunctioned, and forgetting about the backup chute convinced him that the last thing to go through his mind would be his own arse.
“I didn’t even think about the second chute,” he admitted. “So I thought we were just plummeting to our deaths.” Even when the backup was pulled, it became entangled, which didn’t do his mindset any favours. Fortunately, a little jiggery-pokery and it was unravelled, preventing the A-lister and his partner from being transformed into a splatter of powdered mush.
