Sheryl Sandberg, former COO of Meta, allegedly fabricated a story about narrowly escaping disaster by claiming she had planned to board Asiana Airlines Flight 214, which crash-landed in San Francisco over a decade ago, killing three and injuring nearly 200 people. This accusation, according to a report in New York Post, comes from Sarah Wynn-Williams, a former subordinate who served as director of public policy under Sandberg for six years at Facebook (as the company was then called). Wynn-Williams makes the claim in her new memoir, Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism, asserting that Sandberg, once Mark Zuckerberg’s second-in-command, lied about almost being on the ill-fated flight.
“Do people really lie about dodging plane crashes?” Wynn-Williams muses in her book. “Why would she? It’s not like Sheryl craves the spotlight.” She adds, “After that, I could never look at Sheryl the same way.”
What Sheryl Sandberg said about taking the San Franciso flight that crash-landed
The flight in question departed from Incheon International Airport near Seoul, South Korea, on July 6, 2013, carrying 307 passengers and crew. During its approach to San Francisco International Airport, the Boeing 777-200ER descended too low and too slow, resulting in a catastrophic crash landing. Emergency crews responded swiftly, and most passengers evacuated before flames engulfed the aircraft. Tragically, three people perished—one killed by a rescue vehicle in the chaos — and 187 were injured, many with spinal or head trauma.
Shortly after the incident, Sandberg posted on Facebook, claiming she, her family, and several Facebook colleagues had originally intended to take Flight 214. “We switched to United so we could use miles for my family’s tickets,” she wrote. “Our flight was due to arrive at the same time, but we landed about 20 minutes earlier.” In subsequent posts, she reassured followers of her safety and noted that Samsung executive David Eun, a friend who was on the flight, had survived. “Serious moment to give thanks,” she concluded. The post rapidly gained attention, amassing over 3,000 likes in its first hour.
What Wynn-Williams wrote on Sandberg’s post
Wynn-Williams, however, disputes Sandberg’s account. In her memoir, she recalls seeing news reports suggesting Sandberg and other team members, including then-director of global communications Debbie Frost, were slated to be on the flight—information she says the staff only learned from Sandberg’s post. Skeptical, Wynn-Williams contacted Frost, who allegedly called Sandberg’s claim “totally weird,” pointing out that Sandberg “always flies United” and that Asiana was never an option. “I don’t know why she posted it or tagged us all,” Frost reportedly told her.
Frost, when approached by The Post, directed inquiries to her Threads account, where she wrote, “Everyone’s got their own take, but a lot of these stories are blown out of proportion or just didn’t happen.” Wynn-Williams’ book also includes other provocative allegations, adding fuel to the controversy surrounding Sandberg’s tenure.
