According toFrancesca Peppiatt's"Country Music's Most Wanted,"Denver's father, an air force test pilot, taught him how to fly planes. Singer/songwriter Jim Croce, 30, was a rising star on September 20, 1973, when he performed his last concert at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. The airplane belonged to country singer Jerry Calhoun. Bryant was known for using his helicopter as a commuting vehicle from his home in Newport Beach to Lakers games at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles. Aaliyah had her final film role in 2002's "Queen of the Damned," which she had finished shooting before her untimely death, per ET. Here is a list of other athletes and celebrities who died in air tragedies. Ritchie Valens, Buddy Holly and the "Big Bopper". He never arrived. Gentry, who was one half of the country duo Montgomery Gentry, died in a helicopter crash in Medford, New Jersey, on Sept. 8, 2017. A search began, and eventually, on July 19, what was left of the plane was found in the Atlantic; all three bodies were found on July 21. Soul singer Otis Redding, 26, died in the crash of his chartered twin-engine Beechcraft 18 on December 10, 1967. Interested in music, Nelson launched a musical career, with hits that included Hello Mary Lou and Garden Party. He was killed on December 31, 1985, when his airplane, a 1944 Douglas DC-3 that Nelson had purchased for use as a tour airplane, was attempting an emergency landing due to an interior fire. Guitarist Vaughn died early the morning of Aug. 26, 1990, after his helicopter crashed into a ski hill. Sadly, the singer made the mistake of flying into more stormy weather and did not level his wings as he made a crucial turn. The cause was put down as pilot error; Brown might have experienced night blindness after taking off under bright lights and then ascending into fog and darkness. According to the National Transportation Safety Board's accident report, Osbourne's tour bus driver Andrew Aycock stole an aircraft while the band was in Leesburg, Florida, for a joyride on March 19, 1982. The helicopter crash that killed Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, 41, and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna "Gigi" Bryant, is the latest crash involving an aircraft to claim the lives of beloved athletes and celebrities. In a VH1 "Behind the Music"special, plane crash survivors pianist Billy Powell, drummer Artimus Pyle, and guitarist Gary Rossington recalled initial fears about boarding the plane because of its old age and issues with the engines. Reeves was 39 years old. The Yankees pitcher and his flight instructor were killed when the ballplayer's small plane crashed into a high-rise apartment building in Manhattan. Investigators later determined that low fuel, a hard-to-reach handle to switch gas tanks and modifications Denver made to his small plane likely contributed to his crash. He was like a gift from God we worked so well together. Holly was a rising star in the music industry with songs like "Peggy Sue" and "That'll Be the Day" with his band, The Crickets. After taking off from Dyersburg, Tennessee, into rain, clouds and darkening skies, the airplane crashed to earth in the countryside about 75 miles west of Nashville. Aailyah had released three best-selling albums at the time of her death and was married briefly (and illegally) to her mentor, rapper and producer R. Kelly, at the age of 15. and "Try Again"earned her the nickname the "Princess of R&B," and by the age of 22, she already had three successful albums. The 22-year-old R&B singer was in the Bahamas filming a music video for "Rock the Boat" when she and her crew decided to head home early after finishing production. He crashed within seconds. All four people died in the crash. Read on to learn which mega stars' lives were cut short after they died in plane crashes. Prior to his death, Denver's pilot license had been suspended due to drunk driving charges. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Kobe Bryant was our childhood hero, our adult icon. Country singer Jim Reeves, 40, died in a crash similar to Clines, except in this case Reeves was flying his own airplane. Celebrities Who Died in Plane and Helicopter Crashes - People The Tennessean reported that before trying to land at their final destination, the group stopped in Dyersburg, Tennessee, to refuel. It was taking off, and it did not get any altitude." Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, at a 2018 swimming championship in Irvine, California. Bandmember Steve Gaines and backup singer Cassie Gaines also died in the crash, along with three others; the other 20 people on board survived. Authorities blamed terrible weather for the crash. Snowstorm by Eating Snow and Croissants for a Week: 'A Miracle', died in a helicopter crash in Medford, New Jersey, Kathleen Cavendish, Marchioness of Hartington. Air Force and National Guard jets intercepted the Learjet and reported its windows were fogged or frozen and there was no sign of life. Drazen Petrovic, 28: The European basketball great who was a rising star in the NBA died June 7, 1993, when the car he was riding in crashed into a truck on Germanys Autobahn. All Rights Reserved. While commercial and private air travel is generally safe today, some of the famous people on this list were test pilots, who died testing new aircraft technology. Jordan, who wrote "Jim Reeves: His Untold Story," detailed the crash and shared that Reeves was flying during a thunderstorm and lost visual reference. Looking Forward to Racing Again After Plane Crash, Award-Winning TV Anchor Dies in Plane Crash While Covering Story on Pilot, Singer Gabriel Diniz Dies in Plane Crash En Route to Girlfriend's Birthday: Reports, See Doomed Helicopter Take Flight Moments Before Crashing in NYC River. In his paper 'Post-Mortem Examinations on Air-Crash Victims' Teare lists the causes of death of 28 people who died when a British European Airways plane flying from Paris to London crashed on landing in thick fog at Heathrow. According toThe New York Times, Reeves was flying his single-engine plane bound for Nashville, Tennessee, when it crashed in a wooded area near the city on July 31, 1964. All Rights Reserved. He died on February 3, 1959, at the age of 22. The plane's wreckage was found near Iturbide, Mexico. Why do so many famous people die in small airplane crashes? Is this a Stewart was 42. Sharon Osbourne, Ozzy's wife, was on the tour bus and wrote about the devastating crash in her autobiography, "Sharon Osbourne Extreme." Fallen stars: celebrities who perished in air crashes - MSN Mexican authorities confirmed that the wreckage of the small plane had been found in Nuevo Leon state, and there were no survivors among the seven people believed to be on board. According to The New York Times, a Beechcraft Bonanza aircraft Holly boarded crashed into a farm minutes after departing from Iowa's Mason City Airport in Iowa. Aailyah had released three best-selling albums at the time of her death and was married briefly (and illegally) to her mentor, rapper and producer R. Kelly, at the age of 15. However, if you crash during take-off or landing, the chances of surviving are higher than 50%. Ron Wolfson/WireImage for Bragman Nyman Cafarelli, JOHN F. KENNEDY JR. & CAROLYN BESSETTE-KENNEDY, Dave Allocca/DMI/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty, Plane Crash That Killed Christian Diet Guru Gwen Shamblin Caused By 'Spatial Disorientation' of Pilot Husband, Pilot and Pregnant Wife Found Dead After Plane Crash in Australia: 'Just Tragic for the Family', Peter Frampton Makes Rare Appearance at 2023 CMT Awards to Honor Lynyrd Skynyrd's Gary Rossington, 2 Planes Fall Out of the Sky Killing Hundreds and New Documentary Investigates How, Mom and Daughter Booked Flight on Groupon for 'Beautiful Day' Together Before Deadly Plane Crash, Father of 7 Sent Wife a Message Before He and Pilot Died in N.Y. Why So Many Rock Stars Die at 27, Explained by Science - Mic Plane Crash Carrying Coworkers Identified: 'They Were Valuable Members of Our Team', Officials Say Plane Broke Apart Before Crash that Killed 5, Including New Dad of 1-Month-Old Baby, All About Gwen Shamblin Lara, the Late Diet Guru and Religious Leader, Pilot, 46, Killed in Medical Plane Crash Was a Proud 'Girl Dad' to 3 Daughters and Loved Giving Back, Pilot Thought Instructor Was 'Just Pretending' When He Had Died Mid-Takeoff, Paying Tribute to the Celebrities Who Have Died in 2023, Man, 81, Survived Being Trapped in Calif. While flying is by no means a dangerous mode of travelling, plane crashes do occur from time to time which result in the deaths of numerous people each year in the most horrific manner. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Federal investigators look for answers in Kobe Bryant helicopter crash, Plaschke: How can Kobe Bryant be gone? Why do so many celebrities and sports figures die from plane crashes? The National Transportation Safety Board later ruled pilot error caused an "uncontrolled descent" that killed Gentry and pilot James Robinson, 30. Per theLos Angeles Times, according to the National Transportation Safety Board, it's believed that the factorsthat led to Denver's crash included low fuel and an inability to reach for a handle that would allow the musician to switch fuel tanks. Kennedy was 38. However, the plane and bodies ofKennedy Jr, his wife, and his sister-in-lawwere later located on July 21. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. The band confirmed Gentry's death in a post on their Facebook page and stated that details surrounding the crash were unknown. Over the decades several bands have died in airplane accidents as the world mourned. Rock Stars and Bands Killed in Airplane Crashes, Celebrities Who Died in Helicopter Crashes, The Greatest Singers of the Past 30 Years, The Greatest Baseball Players Of All Time, The Best Players in the Baseball Hall of Fame. The most comprehensive and authoritative history site on the Internet. In the music profession, especially, many young lives have been lost to accidents in the air. Redding was just 26 years old. Tim Crews, 31: Cleveland Indians pitcher, who had pitched for the Dodgers the previous season, was killed March 23, 1993, when the boat he was in collided with a dock in Clermont, Fla. Teammate Steve Olin was also killed in the accident. All six onboard, including guitarist Maury Muehleisen, comedian George Stevens, road manager Dennis Rast and Croces agent, Kenneth D. Cortese, died in the crash. The NTSB was unable to determine who was flying the plane when it smacked into the north side of a condo complex on E. 72 Street. In 1944, the ber-popular bandleader and musician was traveling from England to France to give a performance for the troops that had just liberated Paris from Nazi occupation. These celebrities were known in different fields such as music, science and acting.. A Hall of Fame pitcher who played for the Toronto Blue Jays and the Philadelphia Phillies, Roy Halladay crashed his IconA5 amphibious plane into the Gulf of Mexico near his Florida home. Harrison Ford says '1923' role 'emotionally relates' to - MSN The R&B singer was only 22 years old when she died in a plane crash while departing the Bahamas on August 25, 2001. They disbanded after the crash, but various reincarnations of the group have formed in the years since, sometimes with original members and their relatives. flights become a regular part of life for traveling famous people, as they move from . Sadly, there were two other up-and-coming stars with Holly on board the plane. According to The Tennessean, the plane was owned by Cline's manager, Randy Hughes, who piloted the plane. Ritchie Valens, a pioneer in rock and rolland popular disc jockey, J.P. Richardson, known as "The Big Bopper," were also killed. Moreover, the human body is not designed to withstand high deceleration forces (via HuffPost), which is why the body suffers such brutal injuries that cause a swift death. A video from the Wisconsin Historical Societycaptured a crane lifting Redding's wrecked plane from Lake Monona as divers searched the waters. Stress. Even though the survival rate for plane crashes is quite high (via Ranker), this doesn't mean a person comes out unscathed if an accident does occur. Paul Finkleman, the author of "Encyclopedia of African American History, 1896 to the Present: I-T," quoted Clemente saying, "I am from the poor people. Over 300 celebrities, historical figures, actors, singers, and other famous people have tragically died inairplane accidents, leaving great work behind in many cases. Twenty-one people were injured, including an apartment resident who was severely burned when her home was engulfed in flames by the plane's impact. It was scheduled to arrive in Toluca, outside Mexico City, before sunrise. Singer, dancer and actress Aailyah (full name Aaliyah Dana Haughton) was only 22 when she died in the crash of a twin-engine Cessna 402 on August 25, 2001. The safety rules on these planes are more lax (electronics use, seat belt use, partying, etc) which can lead to destabilization of the plane when absolute control is necessary (I don't know enough about avionics to determine if this could actually have an effect, but a bunch of rock stars partying with strippers in the back of a small plane must have some impact on the pilot's ability to fly the plane). Who is the most famous person who died in a plane crash? The airplane plunged into the ground at high speed. Clemente, who was active in charity work, had sponsored emergency relief flights to the Nicaraguan capital city of Managua after a massive earthquake devastated the region. "When Ozzy got back from getting this old man out of the house, we clung to each other, and we were just screaming and weeping and shaking, and we just couldn't put all the pieces together and make one good picture, because everybody was in shock," she shared. The Grand Ole Opry members"Cowboy" Lloyd Copas and Hawkshaw Hawkins were also aboard. He was the AL MVP in 1976 and was a key member of two Yankees World Series title teams. After the plane encountered intense levels of turbulence, it fell nose-first in a ravine in the Cvennes Mountains. TheDireccin General de Aeronutica Civil of Mexico concluded there was a loss of flight control for undetermined reasons. Lead singer Ronnie Van Zant (29), guitarist Steve Gaines (28) and backup singer Cassie Gaines (29) were killed, as was an assistant road manager and the pilot and copilot. The 9 real reasons planes crash - International Aviation HQ According to Rolling Stone, Croce and five others, which included guitarist Maury Muehleisen, road manager Morgan Tell, comedian George Stevens, a booking agent, and the pilot, were killed when their plane hit a tree and crashed after taking off from Natchitoches, Louisiana. Country music star Patsy Cline was aboard a small plane bound for Nashville, Tennessee, after a performance in Kansas City, Kansas, when it crashed in a wooded area on March 5, 1963. But the badly overloaded DC-7 cargo plane crashed because of engine failure immediately after takeoff. According to Redding's website, the singer was flying in a private plane he had purchased when it crashed into a lake in Madison, Wisconsin. Unfortunately, the aircraft went down too fast and began hitting the tops of trees until it eventually crashed and shattered into pieces. As noted in theDaily Mail, The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the pilot, Aya Zobayan, neglected federal safety guidelines and was not qualified to fly in foggy weather conditions with low visibility. The hard-driving music mogul had gone to the concert to secure Lewis' participation in a benefit for victims of the massive Oakland Hills fire in 1991. Died October 20, 1977, age 29, in a plane crash outside of Gillsburg, Mississippi when the plane ran out of fuel. The 40-year-old's body was found in 6 feet of water, and FAA officials said the athlete had not filed a flight plan. Her body recovered and buried at the All Souls Cemetery in California. Cory Lidle, 34: The New York Yankees pitcher was killed Oct. 11, 2006, when his plane crashed into an apartment building in New York. I've tried coming up with a few explanations, but I lack the statistical ability to really explain it: These crashes are common, but because these people are famous they stick out like sore thumbs, The people who fly in private jets are typically famous people, so when a private plane crashes there is a higher probability that one of the passengers will be famous (although this is interesting because there are far more private jets that transport corporate people like my dad and myself and their crash rate is significantly lower, so there are a few problems with this explanation). The flight flew out of Greenville, South Carolina, en route to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, when it crashed near Gillsburg, Mississippi. The plane crashed into the ocean shortly after takeoff from Puerto Rico with Clemente and three others onboard. However, contact with the pilot was lost ten minutes into the flight. List of Musicians & Singers Who Died in Plane Crashes - Ranker The 80-year-old actor noted his . 1 hit he would get to celebrate before he died on September 30 of that year at the age of 30. The 22-year-old R&B artist died after her plane went down after takeoff on Aug. 25, 2001. Joshua Sanders of Rutherford County Fire Rescue said in a news conference that authorities initially conducted searches at the crash scene by boat and in shallow water, and later performed dive operations, according to ABC News. When their plane didn't arrive on time, it was reported missing. Rhoads, 25, was a passenger in the airplane, which was flown by Andrew Aycock, who drove a bus for the band. Also killed was Lidle's flight instructor, from whom he had been taking lessons. Another highly unfortunate case was the crash in which three popular celebrities Patsy Cline, Hawkshaw Hawkins, and Cowboy Copas perished together. MCA Records later re-released Street Survivors with a different coverthe original had shown the band surrounded by flames. The pilot was also killed in the crash. At some point during the flight, the aircraft suffered depressurization and veered off the planned course, continuing to fly on autopilot. Stewart was a three-time major champion, winning the PGA Championship in 1989, and the U.S. Open in 1991 and 1999. The plane, a Cessna Citation 501, crashed into Percy Priest Lake around 11 a.m. shortly after taking off from Smyrna Airport bound for Palm Beach, Florida, NBC News reported. Many people who can afford itoften use choppers and smaller planes to speed up travel times while working and on tour. Just before the crash, she had completed a concert. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. The baseball legend died on Dec. 31, 1972, while he was en route to help Nicaraguan earthquake victims. Ozzy later told A&E, "I knew instinctively that he was something extra special. She had been traveling from the Bahamas to Miami after filming the music video for her song "Rock the Boat." He was 50 years old and survived by his wife Angie and their daughters, Kaylee and Taylor. Answer (1 of 7): There are at least three reasons why famous people are more likely to die in flight, and one reason why there are not as much more likely as you might think they are. Shortly after taking off from the airport in Clear Lake, Iowa, on a flight to Fargo, North Dakota, for a show in nearby Moorhead, Minnesota, the single-engine airplane encountered bad weather and crashed in a cornfield. It was originally planned for Waylon Jennings and Tommy Allsup to be on that plane, but Waylon gave up his seat to J.P. because he had the flu and Tommy Allsup and Ritchie Valens tossed a coin for the other seat with Valens "winning" the toss. Right IconThis ranking is based on an algorithm that combines various factors, including the votes of our users and search trends on the internet. After Lewis agreed, Graham hopped back on the helicopter to return to his Bay Area home. Immediately after takeoff from Natchitoches Regional Airport, the airplane hit a pecan tree. If the plane doesn't explode and continues to plummet, it's likely the spine will break and separate the nerves from your brain, causing instant death. The very thought of something going wrong mid-air and the plane plunging down to the earth is enough to make some people develop a real fear of flying. Jenni Rivera was an influential Mexican-American banda singer. Jan. 26, 2020 4:56 PM PT. Pelle Lindbergh, 26: The Philadelphia Flyers goalie died Nov. 11, 1985, after he lost control of his car and struck a wall. 35 CELEBRITIES THAT DIED IN AIRCRAFT CRASHES - YouTube The pilot, who was 78, was reportedly not allowed to fly a plane of that weight. I represent the poor people. BenCauley, a trumpeter for the Bar-Kays was the only survivor. If the plane doesn't explode and continues to plummet, it's likely the spine will break and separate the nerves from your brain, causing instant death. Nine people died Sunday morning when Bryant's Sikorsky S-76B helicopter plummeted into a field in Calabasas, California, en route to abasketball game at the school where Gigi attended and played. 8. Lakers legend Kobe Bryant died when the helicopter he was traveling in crashed into a hillside in Calabasas shortly before 10 a.m. Rodney Culver, 26: The Chargers running back was killed in the crash of ValuJet Flight 592 into the Florida Everglades on May 11, 1996. Jim Reeves was known as a country star, but his baritone voice and musical stylings appealed to both pop and gospel fans throughout the '50s and '60s. Valens, whose big hit was La Bamba, got a seat on the airplane after winning a coin flip with guitarist Tommy Allsup. According to History, Clemente was known for helping underprivileged youth, especially in his homeland of Puerto Rico, offering baseball clinics and teaching children more than just the rules of the game. Celebrity Plane Crashes: Stars Who Died In Aviation Accidents If the crash is sudden, a passenger would only be conscious for a moment or two. The group had been traveling to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to play a concert at Louisiana State University. Drug and alcohol overdoses were among the most common causes of death, which comes as no surprise given that the average rock star has access to an illicit pharmacy whenever he or she seeks it out.. Denver (born John Henry Deutschendorf Jr.) had been flying a Rutan Long-EZ on the Pacific Coast near Pacific Grove, California, when the airplane plunged into the ocean. Cline was 30. Soul legend Otis Redding's classic song "(Sittin' On) the Dock of the Bay" became a massive success upon its release in 1968 and would become Redding'sfirst number-one hit. Privacy Policy. The investigation blamed pilot Peterson, who was not prepared for the weather he encountered on the flight. Country singer Patsy Cline, 30, and three others died in a crash of a Piper Comanche on March 5, 1963. Why Private Planes Are Nearly As Deadly As Cars | Live Science The plane continued on auto pilot until it ran out of fuel and slammed into a field in South Dakota. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Of the seven passengers, the only survivor was 20-year-old Ben Cauley, one of the musicians. Why is Frank McCourt really pushing this? The accident investigation determined that the airplane ran out of fuel because the pilots had neglected to properly check their fuel status. Per Ranker, 95% of people who crash while on a plane survive. As perThe Washington Post, the National Transportation Safety Board reported that the crash was due to pilot error and bad weather, stating that the plane went down because of Kennedy's "failure to maintain control of the airplane during a descent over water at night, which was a result of spatial disorientation.". According to PBS, the chances of an average American dying in a plane crash are 1 in 11 million. He was 35 years old. Rhoads played guitar for Osbourne's first two records as a solo act: 1980's "Blizzard of Ozz" and 1981's "Diary of a Madman.". The "Rocky Mountain High" folk singer died when he was flying a personal experimental aircraft over Monterey Bay, California, on Oct. 12, 1997. This video is in Loving Memory of those forty celebrities who sadly died in plane crashes. Denver died at 53 when his experimental aircraft crashed into Monterey Bay, California, on October, 12, 1997, per theAP. According toInsider, there are several ways to increase your chance of surviving if a plane crash does occur. After filming a music video in the Bahamas, Aaliyah and her crew boarded a private plane to fly back to Florida. Her friend and teammate, Alyssa Altobelli, was also on board with her parents, Keri and John, who was the head baseball coach at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, according to family statements. Cline, Hughes and musicians Harold Franklin Hankshaw Hawkins and Llody Estel Cowboy Copas were all killed. The investigation blamed pilot error. Members of the country rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd (Sweet Home Alabama, Free Bird) were aboard a chartered flight of a twin-engine Convair CV-240 on October 20, 1977. Besides having a love for music, Denver was also an avid pilot. A photo showed Kennedy Jr. embracing his wife and kissing her on the cheek. Thanks! And when it's a celebrity who dies in a plane crash, the entire world is plunged into shock and grief. The pilot of his chartered Beechcraft E18 was Robert N. Elliott, who had to make most of the three-mile trip to the airport on foot because he couldnt get a cab. According to People, the group departed on Kennedy's plane from New Jersey and were headed to Martha's Vineyard Airport in Massachusetts when, at around 9:40 p.m., the aircraft crashed into the ocean. Kobe's wife, Vanessa Bryant, later sued Los Angeles County for emotional distress over claims that police and firefighters on the scene had taken photographs of the wreckage, including photos of the remains of Kobe and their daughter, and had shared them. Surviving band members suffered serious injuries and years of rehabilitation.