Shortly after World War II, an emissary from the Vaad Hatzoloh (rescue committee) went from America to Europe to take care of the needs of some of the survivors.

He had completed his mission and was scheduled to come home on a military plane. His wife, in America, heard that the plane had gone down at sea and that there were no survivors. She went to Rabbi Aharon Kotler zt”l (The eminent Torah authority in the post-war years until his passing in 1963. Rabbi Kotler founded the famous “Lakewood Yeshiva”, Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, New Jersey (1895-1963)) and asked him if she should have her son start saying Kaddish. Rav Aharon said that he couldn’t understand how it was possible that a Shliach Mitzvah (a messenger on a mission of Mitzvah) could have died enroute. He told her she should be patient. Several hours later she received a communication from Europe that her husband was still alive.

Upon inquiry it was learned that on the way back, her husband had gotten off the plane when it stopped to refuel. He had Yahrzeit that day and went to pray with a minyan and to say Kaddish. By the time he returned, the plane had already departed.
 

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