In October 2000, music producer John was wrapping up a long business trip in Asia. He was eager to get back home to his wife and two children, but it looked like bad weather in Taiwan, caused by an approaching typhoon, might delay his flight. "I continually called the airlines to ask them to make sure that my flight's going to leave and they kept saying yes," he says.

So John went to the airport, went through the departing gate and boarded his Singapore Airlines Flight 006. "As I stepped on the plane, you could feel the wind shaking the 747. My instincts told me not to get on the plane." But he did anyway and took his seat in the very first row.

As the cabin door closed, John says he still couldn't believe they'd really try to take off with the worsening weather. Then after turning down the wrong runway, the plane began to take off. "I feel a small bump, which was then followed by a huge bump right next to me where something just ripped open the side of the plane and jackknifed," John says. "My head hit my knees at least seven or eight times. At that time, the plane slammed down and there was a huge explosion."

The crash of Singapore Airlines Flight 006 ended up killing 83 people. John was one of 96 passengers who survived.