In the history of sports and entertainment, few can top professional wrestling. And there’s a few legends that stand out, who helped make the industry what it is. The “Nature Boy” Ric Flair is one of them. He’s a household name, but a plane crash in 1975 when he was 26 years old almost ended his legendary career just when it was taking off.
“We were going from Charlotte to Wilmington, NC,” recalled Flair in a recent podcast with Joe Rogan. “Five of us went on the plane, but didn’t know at the time that the plane (a Cessna 310) was carrying no fuel because we were 1,400 lbs over gross.”
Overweight plane without enough fuel
The pilot, Joseph Michael Farkas, dumped fuel on takeoff due to being overweight. It would end up being the last plane he ever flew. According to Flair, he didn’t have a pilot license, and previous flights together were questionable.
In another podcast (see below), he recalled “We should have known there was something wrong with the guy, because he hit a jet stream one time… the plane went upside-down.”
Flair thought no big deal. Well, the pilot’s questionable skills would became a very big deal on the way to Wilmington.
“We hit a headwind, about 7,000 or 8,000 ft, and passed the point of no return,” recalled Flair. “He should have landed in Raleigh to refuel, but figured we had enough to make the final 100 miles.”
Flair was joined by friends Johnny Valentine, Bob Bruggers, Tim Woods, and David Crockett. Valentine could see the fuel gauge, and kept looking back at Flair. Shortly after, the right engine stopped. Pulling the reserve fuel did no good since they were empty. It wasn’t too long after before the left engine quit.
The plane nose-dived like a brick falling out of the sky. Farkas was able to level it out, but hit the treetops approaching the runway at over 200 mph. The Cessna tore through the treetops, just missed a water tower and hit a pole, before crashing to the ground a quarter-mile short of the runway.
Half the souls onboard broke their backs
The plane came to a stop on a railroad embankment. All the seats broke loose, with everyone flying forward like a can being crushed.
Flair’s back was broken. Farkas was unconscious. Valentine’s back was broken. Bruggers back was broken. Woods’ ribs were broken. Crockett suffered head injuries, his mouth was ripped open, several teeth shattered, and he had a shoulder dislocated.
All six were flown to a nearby hospital. The pilot never regained consciousness and died a couple months later. Valentine ended up paralyzed for life. The others were able to heal and recover, although they now had to deal with healing from the mental and emotional trauma of it.
Flair was originally in Valentine’s seat
Flair was originally in Valentine’s seat on the flight, but complained until Valentine switched seats with him because he did not like sitting in front. That one decision changed both of their lives forever.
Crockett wasn’t even supposed to be there. He took his brother’s place on the trip because his brother had the flu and could not go.
Fate is a strange thing.
Doctors told Flair he would never wrestle again. He was back in the ring 6 months later, as the Nature Boy, a persona that the world would come to know. The rest, is history. WOOOOOOOOO!!
