“I Was Going To Die”: Frankie Dettori Shares Scarring Plane Crash Experience in ‘Uncensored’ Interview with Piers Morgan

Over the course of his remarkable 35-year career, legendary Italian rider Frankie Dettori has made a distinct stamp on British flat racing. The renowned rider, however, shocked the racing community last year by announcing his move to California to pursue his goals on the American and worldwide circuits, instead of retiring. In an exclusive interview with well-known English broadcaster Piers Morgan, Dettori talked about his racing career as well as a terrifying near-death encounter that happened off the track.

Frankie Dettori describes the life-threatening moment

On January 11, Piers Morgan shared the interview on YouTube titled, Frankie Dettori Interview | Piers Morgan Uncensored. Dettori opened up about the significant milestones in his life outside the racetrack. Though Morgan asked about “the plane crash which is really one of those moments in your life where it was a light aircraft you were going from one race course to another.” Thinking back to a near-death experience in a light aircraft accident, the legendary jockey said, “I was going to die.”

He described being disappointed at the time thinking of leaving behind a six-month-old kid at the mere age of 29. Dettori’s Piper Seneca plane crashed after takeoff at Newmarket on June 1, 2000, posing a life-altering situation for him and Ray Cochrane. Although Patrick Mackey, the pilot, sadly lost his life, Cochrane bravely extracted Dettori from the debris.

Dettori spent days at a hospital healing from injuries on his face and a fractured foot. After the collision, Dettori momentarily turned his attention appearing on ‘A Question of Sport‘ on TV. However, urged on by his wife, he resumed to riding in both minor and big meetings. Later, he won the jockeys’ championship for a record three time in 2004. Fast forward to now, the legend is living his best life settling in California.

The new life highlight in America

Dettori had originally intended to retire in 2023, but following a triumphant farewell tour of Europe, he had a change of heart that propelled him to new heights in the American racing scene. Later, his friend Richard Hills claims that Dettori is settling into his new life in California with an unmatched passion. The 53-year-old’s skill on American soil is proven by recent triumphs at Santa Anita.

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Dettori’s determination to continue his career has paid off, as he currently stands third in the jockeys’ rankings with large prize money gains. Fans eagerly await the next developments in Dettori’s career on the global scene as he rides the waves of triumph at the iconic Santa Anita.

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