David Coulthard Survives Plane Crash and Finishes Second at Spanish GP Just Five Days Later

On May 2, 2000, then-McLaren driver David Coulthard was flying on a private plane to France. At an altitude of 11.9 km, the plane's left engine failed, prompting the pilots to declare an emergency and begin an emergency descent. During landing, the plane was flying too low, and near the runway the pilots lost control—the aircraft tilted to the left, its wing struck the ground, and it caught fire. The front part of the plane was torn off from the fuselage. Both pilots died in the crash. David and two other passengers escaped the wreckage with minor injuries. Just five days later, David competed in the Spanish Grand Prix, finishing in second place. The British driver admitted that the experience made him reconsider his life and give up his "playboy lifestyle."