There are more instances of famous individuals having close brushes with death and destiny than one may imagine. Some of those stories are only revealed years after the event.

It would be tough to imagine late-night television without the Griffin family and their outrageous antics after 18 seasons and more than 340 episodes. However, the popular comedy show was only a few cocktails and a mistake away from becoming a two-season smash. The cause? Seth MacFarlane, the show’s creator, almost perished in the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

On the morning of September 11, 2001, MacFarlane was supposed to board American Airlines Flight 11. He has previously discussed the unexpected turn of events that saved him that day. According to MacFarlane, he arrived at the airport late after a night of drinking and missed Flight 11 due to a mix-up with his travel agent.

Throughout the years, MacFarlane has briefly addressed this episode in interviews. According to MacFarlane, who appeared in an interview with Rove McManus, “I was booked on the first flight that hit the tower, and I was drinking the night before, overslept a little bit, and my travel agent screwed up the itinerary by about 15 minutes, so I arrived 10 minutes late to get on the plane.”

When he went up to the counter, MacFarlane was told the gates had just been closed, so he booked another flight for later in the morning. While dealing with his hangover, he helplessly watched the planes go into the towers

Said MacFarlane in an interview with Piers Morgan once: “Went into the lounge, fell asleep, woke up about 45 minutes later to a commotion, and the first plane had hit. And sat there and watched the second plane hit. And they announced what flight it was. And I turned to the guy next to me and said, ‘my God, that was the flight I was supposed to be on. I was late. I missed it.’”

How did the experience change MacFarlane’s life view? According to the man behind the cartoon, the answer is: ‘not much.’

The show creator told Morgan, “I am not a fatalist. I was not shaken to the core in the way that I changed my whole outlook on life. Mainly because I had missed planes before, and coincidences do happen.”

Basically, MacFarlane sees his escape from death—and the survival of Family Guy along with it—as nothing more than a lucky accident.

MacFarlane also reflected on his brush with death in a 2004 interview with the New York Times. “I think I still pretty much approach everything the same way. There are probably 100 close calls for all of us every year, and we don’t even realize it. Maybe one day the whole thing will really hit me.”

One would think this would change McFarlane’s perspective on life at a profound level, not including at least some feeling of survivor’s guilt as so many in similar situations go through. Even if he pledged never to joke about 9/11, he has made references to it on Family Guy.

The cartoon creator was not afraid to express this line of thought in a Family Guy episode in which Brian and Stewie reveal that they are lucky to be alive.

Brian tells Stewie, “you know, I was supposed to be on one of those planes.”

Without hesitation, Stewie replies, “yeah, me too.”