When Shari Peterson was bumped from her assigned airline seat to seat 13F, she couldn’t know that this seat change, plus the unusual circumstances surrounding it, just saved her life.

On February 24, 1989, Shari Peterson was a passenger on the ill-fated United Flight 811 from Honolulu to Auckland.

Traveling four miles above the Pacific Ocean, the jumbo jet’s cargo door was ripped from its hinges, creating an enormous breach in the right side of the aircraft. Facing certain death, terrified passengers and crew were now at the mercy of the deadly incoming hurricane-force wind, ear shattering noise, and bitterly cold night air. 

Nine passengers were instantly pulled through that gaping hole and cast into the dark night over the Pacific Ocean.  

In her personable and relatable Midwestern style, Shari takes us through her early life which formed the basis for her story of survival. 

She then offers a gripping account of the mid-air explosion, followed by reflections on the aftermath of survivor’s guilt and her life collapsing around her. Eventually, Shari finds the motivation to face some of life’s most difficult situations by making better and bolder choices. 

Thirty years after the incident, Shari is now ready to share her story.