Jimmy Buffett was not your average celebrity musician. Fame or not, Buffett seemingly would not have lived his life any differently. The man just had a spirit for adventure, adrenaline, and curiosity, and he didn’t let that spirit reside merely within. Rather, it seemed to have dictated his life, and consequently, Jimmy Buffett lived a life that could fill up books upon books full of stories.
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Some of the most notable Buffett stories include him getting shot at by Jamaican police with Bono and covering the Pope’s visit to Cuba as a journalist for Rolling Stone. In addition to being an avid traveler, businessman, seaman, and musician, Jimmy Buffett was also a certified pilot. Musicians and planes historically don’t have the best relationship. And on this day, August 25, 1994, Jimmy Buffett nearly added to that bad relationship, as he crashed a plane in Nantucket, Massachusetts.
In Jimmy Buffett Fashion, He Lived To Tell the Tale
On this day in 1994, Jimmy Buffett geared up his seaplane to depart Nantucket, Massachusetts, where he had been vacationing. Before the incident, Buffett had garnered his private pilot’s licence during the 1980s. He was an avid flyer and aviation enthusiast. However, his experience can’t control the weather, and that is what ultimately made the plan crash while taking off.
Upon take off, Jimmy Buffett hit a large ocean swell, which then made the plane nose-dive straight into the water. Recalling the incident, Buffett told the National Transportation Safety Board, “Just prior to lifting off the water, out of the corner of my left eye, I spotted some contrary water what looked to be to me some kind of swell, and decided to pull the power, but before I could do so, the plane veered extremely to the right,” via VAHS.
Following the accident, Buffett swam away from the sinking plane and was then picked up by a passing boat. Buffett visited the hospital and received treatment for minor injuries. Despite the harrowing event, Buffett never stopped pursuing his hobby, as he flew planes up until he died in 2023.
This story is not only a testament to Buffett’s courage and survival instinct, but also a testament to his storybook life in general. Most people would never dare get on a plane after an incident such as this. However, Buffett knew that if life were to be lived at its fullest, fear would need to be set to the side.
Photo by Tim Mosenfelder/WireImage
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