Ben Affleck Is Afraid of Flying, But Has Two REALLY Good Reasons Why (VIDEO)
Actor Ben Affleck suffers from "Pteromerhanophobia," or -- in layman's terms -- "Fear of Flying." This is an extremely common phobia shared by millions of people around the world. Being afraid to fly is a complex psychological disorder that can have many possible causes. In Ben's case, though, the reasons why are very very simple.On 'The Tonight Show' (weeknights, 11:35PM ET on NBC), Affleck explained to Jay Leno how his fear first arose. Ben actually started working as a child actor at a very young age. When he was 9 years old, he went on a flight to Washington D.C by himself ... which is when the plane got hit by lightening and the engine caught on fire.
According to Ben, the plane had to head in for an emergency landing -- and at this point, things got even worse. The night before, the 9-year-old Affleck had randomly seen a frightening TV program about child molesters. "It scared the lights out of me," he said. And so, as a terrified, crying Ben sat in a flaming plane that was zooming toward the ground, he noticed a potentially creepy man sitting next to him. The man then turned and said: "You know, if we land, they'll put us in a hotel. Don't worry -- you can stay with me."
Ugh. Fire, lightening, and a possible molester. These all sound like good reasons for avoiding riding on an airplane ever again. To his credit, though, Ben has since tried to overcome his "Pteromerhanophobia." Good for him!
(And by the way, here is a list of other celebrities who are afraid to fly. You are not alone, Mr. Affleck!)
- See a great moment on TV? Send feedback & suggestions to TT5@aoltv.com
- New clips post all day long. Don't miss out, subscribe to our RSS feed

36 Comments