John Travolta says his near-death experience piloting a plane drew him to star in his upcoming movie

• John Travolta opened up about his "near-death experience" 30 years ago while piloting a plane.
• He shared the story at the premiere of "The Shepherd," a short film about a pilot who experiences a plane electrical failure.

John Travolta recounted his near-death experience while piloting a plane 30 years ago, during the London premiere of his upcoming short film "The Shepherd," per Variety.

The 38-minute film — based on a book of the same name by Frederick Forsyth — tells the story of a young pilot in danger after his plane experiences an electrical failure during a flight, per Variety.

Like the protagonist in the movie, Travolta revealed that he had also previously experienced plane trouble in real life.

"I actually experienced a total electrical failure, not in a Vampire but in a corporate jet over Washington DC," Travolta said during a Q&A session at the premiere, per Variety.

As a result, the story's plot resonated because of his own experience, the actor said, per Variety.

"I knew what it felt like to absolutely think you're going to die," Travolta said, per Variety. "I had two good jet engines but I had no instruments, no electric, nothing. And I thought it was over."

In March 1995, The Washington Post reported that Travolta was flying from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Rockland, Maine, with his family to celebrate Thanksgiving in 1992 when the incident happened.

According to the Post, Travolta's plane was involved in a near-miss with a USAir Boeing 727 bound for New York from Charlotte.

Travolta managed to land the plane using a nitrogen-charged emergency brake and there were no injuries, the Post reported.

The Post also noted that both Travolta and the Federal Aviation Administration declined to comment on the incident back then.

Travolta, who plays the mysterious pilot who guides the protagonist to safety in the film, added that he never found the time to make the movie until now — despite buying the screen rights to the book years ago.

"Because it was right after 'Pulp Fiction,' I was doing one movie after another," Travolta said at the premiere, per Variety. "After 10 years, I just let it go and decided that I was never going to really get to do it."

"It took 30 years but here I am tonight," Travolta added, per Variety.

"The Shepherd" will be released on Disney+ on December 1, 2023.