Chevy Chase hosted via satellite from NBC's studios in Burbank, California from the set of 'The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'. Chase explains that he missed his flight to New York. This was the only time that the host did not appear on stage.
The real reason Chevy Chase did not host the show live was not because he missed his plane, but because of filming commitments. This became evident during the week leading up to the show, and the show was written with him being live via satellite angle in mind.
Eddie Murphy holds two notable records related to SNL: He is the only regular cast member as of 2023 to host the show while he was still doing his regular work (many other former cast members have hosted but only after they'd left the show as performers) and the gap of 35 years between his last cast appearance in 1984 and his return as host in 2019 on Eddie Murphy/Lizzo (2019) is the longest time any star on the show has gone between regular-run appearances (Murphy did appear on the SNL40 special in 2015 but that isn't considered part of the series' canon).