Following the deaths of Joe and Gwen Lara in a May 2021 small plane crash, see the other famous names who were lost too soon in plane and helicopter accidents. Besides having a love for music, Denver was also an avid pilot. 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. For more information, please see our Lack of sleep. Roberto Clemente played 18 seasons for the Pittsburgh Pirates until his untimely death in a plane crash on December 31, 1972. He was uniquely in his own category, and as a vocalist was in a league with the best crooners of the twentieth century like Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby, Buddy Clark who was his idol. Roy Halladay, 40: The retired pitcher was killed Nov. 7, 2017, when the aircraft he was piloting crashed into the Gulf of Mexico. One half of the country music group Montgomery Gentry, 50-year-old Troy Gentry, was killed in New Jersey during an emergency helicopter landing. He was 35 years old. Reeves flew into a violent rainstorm over Brentwood, Tennessee, and apparently became disoriented. According to NBC News, on September 8, 2017, the men were set to perform a show at an airport resort in New Jersey when Gentry decided to board a helicopter before they were to hit the stage. There is no doubt that the fear of a plane crash is amongst the most common fears that people harbour. Fernandez was a two-time All-Star and the NL rookie of the year in 2013. 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. Denver died at 53 when his experimental aircraft crashed into Monterey Bay, California, on October, 12, 1997, per theAP. Guitarist Vaughn died early the morning of Aug. 26, 1990, after his helicopter crashed into a ski hill. There was no communication from the flight, prompting F-16 jets to be scrambled to the wayward aircraft. And when it's a celebrity who dies in a plane crash, the entire world is plunged into shock and grief. 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. Hall and Anderson survived the accident, but Munson suffered a broken neck and died of asphyxiation caused by breathing super-heated air and toxic chemicals. He was 40 years old. The number of times famous people use private jets per year is statistically higher than the average user of private jets , increasing their likelihood of dying in a plane crash. TheDireccin General de Aeronutica Civil of Mexico concluded there was a loss of flight control for undetermined reasons. Impresario and rock concert promoter Bill Graham was killed in a helicopter crash while returning home from a Huey Lewis and the News concertin California. Payne Stewart, 42: The golfer was killed in a plane crash Oct. 25, 1999, when the aircraft failed to pressurize. According to Rolling Stone, country music legend Waylon Jennings was supposed to be on that same flight but was asked by Richardson to give up his seat. Houston Mitchell is an assistant sports editor, writer of the Dodgers Dugout newsletter and editor of all of the sports newsletters for the Los Angeles Times. Shortly after taking off, the helicopter crashed into a nearby ski mountain. Jerome Brown, 27: The Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle died on June 25, 1992, when his car crashed into a utility pole. With hectic schedules and numerous professional commitments, famous people from all walks of life are required to fly regularly. However, the plane and bodies ofKennedy Jr, his wife, and his sister-in-lawwere later located on July 21. The band's assistant road manager, Dean Kilpatrick, also died. Eleanor Roosevelt. A 1950 crash in London (also posted at the National Library of Medicine) found that the injuries the victims sustained, including fractured skulls, spines, ruptured hearts, and more, caused immediate loss of consciousness or death. 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. According to the documentary"The Real Patsy Cline,""Because [Hughes] was not an instrumented-rated pilot and relied on only on visual contact with the ground, he was unable to navigate through the dense storm clouds." He is also the author of Maine Roads to Gettysburg, Searching for George Gordon Meade: The Forgotten Victor of Gettysburg, and other books. An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Boardreported that the pilot could not see through the thick fog that day. On March 19, 1982, Randy Rhoads, guitarist for rocker Ozzy Osbourne, died in the crash of a Beechcraft Bonanza in Leesburg, Florida. The three had just finished a gig in Clear Lake, Iowa, and were headed to their next concert in Minnesota when their chartered Beechcraft Bonanza encountered bad weather and crashed into a frozen corn field. An autopsy later determined Halladay had high concentrations of morphine and amphetamines in his system, as well as the sedative known as Ambien. In the music profession, especially, many young lives have been lost to accidents in the air. Both Miller and the plane were never found. Valens was only 17, and Richardson was 24. The most comprehensive and authoritative history site on the Internet. The number of fatal plane crashes had dropped significantly in the last few decades, and even more so with the 2020 pandemic, due to a decrease in international travel (via HuffPost). The number of times famous people use private jets per year is statistically higher than the average user of private jets, increasing their likelihood of dying in a plane crash. In addition, the pilot had severe coronary artery disease, with The Montreal Gazette stating that lawyers for the pilot believed he suffered a heart attack, which Croce's wife and family disputed. Unfortunately, the aircraft went down too fast and began hitting the tops of trees until it eventually crashed and shattered into pieces. Cline was on her way back to her home in Nashville, Tennessee, after performing in Kansas City, Kansas. Celebrities who died in a plane crash. On top of that, Aaliyah showcased her acting chops in "Romeo Must Die.". The plane crashed into the ocean shortly after takeoff from Puerto Rico with Clemente and three others onboard. Marciano retired in 1956 with a 49-0 record. Investigators later determined the plane was 700 pounds over its weight limit. Gentry was 50 years old. There have been many fatal flights that took the lives of some of the world's most famous celebrities and public. He died when the plane he was piloting crashed in Monterey Bay, California, on Oct. 12, 1997; he was 53. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the crash, per reports. Randy andI were like a team." 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. The pilot and copilot survived but were badly burned; the other seven aboard were killed. These celebrities were known in different fields such as music, science and acting.. Kennedy acquired his pilot's license a year before. NTSB investigators said the two pilots and four passengers died of hypoxia when the plane's cabin failed to pressurize. How Palm Springs ran out Black and Latino families to build a fantasy for rich, white people, 17 SoCal hiking trails that are blooming with wildflowers (but probably not for long! Rhoads and makeup artist Rachel Youngblood accompanied Aycock aboard a second flight when the plane's wing hit the tour bus, hit a tree, and ultimately crashed into a home, where it caught on fire. Unfortunately, Gentry would not know that it would be his last day on earth; the helicopter crashed in a wooded area killing the singer and the pilot. Aaliyah's life was taken too soon when she was killed in a plane crash on August 25, 2001. 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. 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.". According to the aircraft's accident report, the plane was flying out from Greenville, South Carolina, and was bound for Baton Rouge, Louisiana, when it crashed into a wooded area of Gillsburg, Mississippi. The NTSB later determined the probable cause of the crash was pilot error and that Kennedy may have become disoriented while flying over water at night. 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. Alan Kulwicki, 38: The NASCAR driver died in an airplane crash April 1, 1993, when the plane he was in crashed while trying to land in Blountville, Tenn. Kulwicki was the 1992 NASCAR champion. They disbanded after the crash, but various reincarnations of the group have formed in the years since, sometimes with original members and their relatives. Redding was just 26 years old. 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.. Killed were Graham, his girlfriend, Melissa Gold, and his pilot and advance man Steve Kahn. She suddenly found herself falling through the air while still strapped in her seat. Powell shared, "It felt like being in a solid steel garbage can rolling down a hill, hit with a hundred baseball bats, head, body, ankles, you name it." Tragic events like devastating car crashes to overdoses have resulted in way too many talents leaving the earth way before their time. Weary of the road, he was eager to get to the next and final stop on the tour in Sherman, Texas. Everyone died in the crash. 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. 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. The eight other people on board the plane were also killed. 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. Many of these famous people who died in plane crashes were taken too soon and had a promising career and life in front of them. The investigation blamed pilot error. He was the only person inside the airplane when it crashed. All three had completed a concert in nearby Clear Lake, Iowa. What new music would artists like soul singer Amy Winehouse and rapper Mac Miller release if they didn't die before 30? Pilot error was the likely cause, the flight agency determined. Notable celebrities who died in aircraft incidents. The singer, known for hits like Four Walls, took off from Batesville, Arkansas, on July 31, 1964, for a flight to Nashville. 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. One of the most shocking plane crash incidents was the one that led to the deaths of rock and roll musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson in 1959. 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. Just before the crash, she had completed a concert. After rocker Ozzy Osbourne was ousted from Black Sabbathin 1979, it wasn't long before he found success as a solo star and gained an incredible guitarist named Randy Rhoads. Surviving band members suffered serious injuries and years of rehabilitation. 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. Air Force and National Guard jets intercepted the Learjet and reported its windows were fogged or frozen and there was no sign of life. They have been identified as: Gwen Lara, a diet guru and founder of the Remnant Fellowship Church, her husband Joe Lara, an actor, Jennifer J. Martin, David L. Martin, Jessica Walters, Jonathan Walters, and Brandon Hannah. PerNBC News, the National Transportation Safety Boardwould later reveal that the cause of the crash was due to pilot error. So, Jennings rode on Holly's band's tour bus instead. 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. After his death, Reeves was inducted into theCountry Music Hall of Fame in 1967. Sadly, the singer made the mistake of flying into more stormy weather and did not level his wings as he made a crucial turn. Kobe Bryant joins a list of athletes who died young in vehicle or aviation accidents. The National Transportation Safety Board later ruled pilot error caused an "uncontrolled descent" that killed Gentry and pilot James Robinson, 30. As per The 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. The Puerto Rican right fielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates was killed in a plane crash off the coast of his home island. Subscribe to receive our weekly newsletter with top stories from master historians. The son of President John F. Kennedy and his new wife died in a private plane crash near Martha's Vineyard, along with Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy's sister, Lauren. The Learjet carrying the performer lost contact with air traffic controllers after it took off from Monterrey, Mexico, at 3:15 a.m. following Rivera's concert there. Steve Olin, 27: Indians pitcher was killed March 23, 1993, when the boat he was in collided with a dock in Clermont, Fla. Teammate Tim Crews was also killed in the accident. Theories abound about what happened. Harrison Ford recalled reliving the traumatic moment when he experienced a near-fatal plane crash in 2015 after his "1923" character suffered a serious injury. After his death, Croce's song "Time in a Bottle" reached the No. Rhoads was 25. Rolling Stone reported that he was only four miles away from the Madison Municipal Airport when it hit the surface of a lake and crashed with heavy force. The report stated that the plane had run out of fuel and needed to attempt an emergency landing. This Is What Really Happens To Your Body If You Die In A Plane Crash, also posted at the National Library of Medicine, Anxiety and Depression Association of America. 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 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 The group had been traveling to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to play a concert at Louisiana State University. Thurman Munson, 32: The Yankees catcher died Aug. 2, 1979, when his plane crashed while he was practicing takeoffs and landings. According to The New York Times, the songstress and eight others boarded a small plane from the Bahamas' Abaco Islands after they wrapped up the music video for "Rock The Boat." The cause of the crash was never determined. 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. Veteran Aviator and Student Pilot He Helped Land After She Lost Her Nose Gear Take to the Skies Together, Oklahoma Man Charged After Allegedly Covering Up the Murder of the Woman His Wife Was Having an Affair With, Texas Man Continued His Date After Cops Say He Fatally Shot Someone Over $40, Autistic Artist Sebastian Franco Hopes to See Northern Lights as He Contemplates Going Completely Blind, Lori Vallow Daybell's Sister: 'You Expect Me to Just Keep Believing Without Ever Having a Question?'. 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. According toFrancesca Peppiatt's"Country Music's Most Wanted,"Denver's father, an air force test pilot, taught him how to fly planes. It was his first #1 record. The accident happened when Aycock, whose pilots license had expired, attempted to buzz Osbournes tour bus, clipped a wing on the bus, and crashed into Calhouns house. It was his last touchdown. Who is the most famous person who died in a plane crash? The Texas-born Vaughan was leaving a concert in East Troy, Wisconsin, on board a helicopter when it slammed into the side of a ski hill on August 27, 1990. Six members of the legendary Southern rock band, including frontman Ronnie Van Zant, died when their decades-old leased plane plowed into the swamps of Mississippi after running out of fuel. Was frontman for the band Lynyrd Skynyrd. After shooting a music video, she and eight other people had boarded the chartered Cessna for a flight from the Bahamas to Florida. As historian Larry Jordan recalled toBillboard, "When he became successful, and he had the freedom to experiment, he began gravitating toward the pop world. Don McLean's 1971 hit "American Pie" was inspired by the plane crash that killed 1950s rock star Buddy Holly. The latter five victims were all from Brentwood and were members of Lara's church, according to News Channel 5. Holly was 22. Roberto Clemente, 38: The Pittsburgh Pirates right fielder died Dec. 31, 1972, in a plane crash on the way to Nicaragua with supplies after an earthquake. In August 2022, Vanessa was awarded $16 million, per NPR. Kennedy was 38. Steve Prefontaine, 24: The runner died May 30, 1975, when the car he was driving jumped the curb and hit a wall. She was told she would never walk again but beat the odds. John Denver is remembered for his 1970s hits like "Take Me Home, Country Road," "Rocky Mountain High," and "Thank God I'm a Country Boy." The world mourned the loss of a sports icon when Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020, in Calabasas, California. Why do so many celebrities and sports figures die from plane crashes? Four months after Reddings death his single (Sittin on) The Dock of the Bay reached the top of the charts. It's incredibly saddening when a celebrity dies young, and fans can't help but wonder what could have been if they were still around. 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. Miller, pilot John Morgan and another passenger, Colonel Norman Baessell, were never seen again. 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. flights become a regular part of life for traveling famous people, as they move from . The New York Yankees catcher was practicing takeoffs and landings with friend Jerry Anderson and flight instructor Dave Hall, when Munson clipped a tree and then struck a tree stump. 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? These include: fractured skull; fractured cervical spine; ruptured aorta; ruptured liver and ruptured heart. A look at some of them: Nick Adenhart, 22: The Angels right-hander was killed April 9, 2009, when his car was struck by a drunk driver only hours after pitching for the team. In addition,The New York Times reported traces of cocaine and alcohol in the pilot's system. Owners of the airport warned Hughes from flying as they would be going through severe weather. Kennedy Jr. was piloting the groupto the wedding of his cousin, Rory Kennedy. Just 80 miles from their destination, both engines gave out as the pilot tried to land the plane on its belly. History is who we are and why we are the way we are.. Misinterpreting data. If an explosion occurs, it's more likely that passengers will die before the actual crash. His wife Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy and her sister Lauren Bessette were also on board when it went down off the shore of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. Sadly, there were two other up-and-coming stars with Holly on board the plane. The airplane plunged into the ground at high speed. All aboard, including the 21-year-old pilot, Roger Peterson, died. The Tennessean reported that before trying to land at their final destination, the group stopped in Dyersburg, Tennessee, to refuel. One of John F. Kennedy Jr. and his wife Carolyn Bessett-Kennedy's last public appearances occurred at the White House Correspondents dinner, in May 1999. 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. It seems impossible to believe he has died at age 41. 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. The NTSB also said the 53-year-old singer didn't have a valid pilot's license because it had been revoked over a previous drunken driving conviction. Jose Fernandez, 24: The Miami Marlins pitcher died Sept. 25, 2016, when the boat he was in struck a jetty in Miami Beach. Poor communication. All three people died on the plane. As horrifying as this sounds, the suffering for those who die in plane crashes is astonishingly minimal. Montgomery continued to perform under the band's name despite Gentry's death. However, an explosion would mean a death that was rapid and pain-free. The plane crashed in Toluca soon after taking off and left no survivors. Copyright 2023 KTRK-TV. At some point during the flight, the aircraft suffered depressurization and veered off the planned course, continuing to fly on autopilot. It took 42 hours to locate the wreckage in a search that included country stars Marty Robbins and Ernest Tubb. After filming a music video in the Bahamas, Aaliyah and her crew boarded a private plane to fly back to Florida. A photo showed Kennedy Jr. embracing his wife and kissing her on the cheek. According to The Tennessean, the plane was owned by Cline's manager, Randy Hughes, who piloted the plane. 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. She was alone in the rain forest for 11 days before she was found. However, Hughes believed they would be okay since it was a short flight. According to the National Safety Council, commercial air travel is one of the safest modes of transportation. But the badly overloaded DC-7 cargo plane crashed because of engine failure immediately after takeoff. First, wealthy people travel more by plane or helicopter, because they have a higher value on each hour of their. Knowing this and other facts regarding plane crashes might help ease flight anxiety or phobia (per the Anxiety and Depression Association of America). Pelle Lindbergh, 26: The Philadelphia Flyers goalie died Nov. 11, 1985, after he lost control of his car and struck a wall. The group was bound for Miami, Florida, when their plane crashed immediately after taking off from Marsh Harbour Airport, killing everyone on board. Rivera, then 43, was killed in a plane crash shortly after takeoff on Dec. 9, 2012. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. Two months later, the son of slain President John F. Kennedy, his wife, and her sister Lauren Bessette were tragically killed when Kennedy's plane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Martha's Vineyard, on July 16, 1999. Contact was lost about 60 miles away, Mexico's transportation ministry said in a statement. The crash killed lead vocalist Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, singer Cassie Gaines, assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, and the plane's pilot and co-pilot. Halladay an . She still has seat belt marks on her legs. He was 50 years old and survived by his wife Angie and their daughters, Kaylee and Taylor. Anyway, I'm just an engineering student with very little statistics background. I like people that suffer because these people have a different approach to life from the people that have everything.". ken and gerard amazing race where are they now,