Plane Crash Survivor on Visiting Heaven

THE DAY THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING

When Dale Black was only 14 years old, he knew he wanted to become an airline pilot. By 19, he had his commercial pilot’s license. On July 18, 1969, Dale, Gene, and Chuck (all pilots) boarded a commuter airplane. Not long after, the plane violently crashed into a cemetery's seven-story Air Mausoleum named “Portal of the Folded Wings” at a speed of 135 mph. Ironically, the structure was dedicated to famous deceased aviators. The first witnesses to the crash site determined that all three occupants were dead. 

“Rising over the wreckage, I hovered about fifteen feet above the ground. Like a silent observer, I was trying to grasp my new reality,” Dale explains. For three days, he drifted in and out of a coma while visiting heaven. One of the first events Dale was shown during this time was the day he gave his life to Christ when he was 11 years old. In his book, Visiting Heaven, Dale describes the light, unity, love, and amazing things he experienced. The light was brighter than anything imaginable and the music was unlike anything he ever heard before. In addition, the feeling of overwhelming love, peace, and unity between those inhabiting heaven, was remarkable. Dale also saw children, animals, and many other indescribable beauties. 

When he awoke in the ICU on the fourth day, he was a radically changed man. Even though Dale struggled with regaining his full memory at the time, he shares, “It seemed as if I had been given new STRENGTHENED eyes. I felt as if I were looking into another dimension. It was like watching a movie, then putting on special glasses and realizing that the movie I was watching all along was in 3-D. But when I awoke, I was seeing way beyond 3-D. Everything was in, well, let’s just say, 5-D. A “filter” that had seemingly been over my eyes since birth had somehow been removed.” Every decision Dale made from that time on, was influenced by his journey to heaven.

His passion to share the Gospel message and God’s love to others became his priority. When Dale told his grandfather about his near-death experience, he cautioned him about telling others. He said, “Dale, if your experience is sacred, why not keep it to yourself? Instead of telling others about it, why not live your life in a way that reflects your journey to heaven? Live what you believe you saw. Live what you believe you heard and learned. Dale, your life's actions will speak louder than your words." 

So, Dale made a solemn vow to himself and God not to share his experience with anyone until God made it clear to do so. Even though he figured it would only take him a year or two to share, it would take forty years to convince Dale that it was time to share his experience. “When I speak about my flight to heaven, I try to reveal some of the journey from a life that was imperfect… but was miraculously changed… and that is here today to tell that while heaven IS real, the God of the Bible is what THIS life is really all about,” he says.

TAKING FLIGHT WITH THE GOSPEL MESSAGE

Today, Dale and his wife, Paula, use his flying skills through their ministry Eagle International Ministries, and his life-changing experience to minister to thousands. After bringing 30,000 people to Christ, Dale stopped counting, but his focus is to continue to bring as many people to the Lord as possible before His return.

THE MOVIE

Angel Studios has produced the film “After Death” that releases on October 27th in select theatres. It shares Dale’s near-death experience along with several others from different backgrounds. The hope is to show people that there truly is life after death and get them thinking about eternity and their relationship with Jesus.     

To learn more about Captain Dale Black and his ministry, please visit: www.DaleBlack.org.