why do celebrities die in plane crashes

Why do so many celebrities and sports figures die from plane crashes? Jennings had given up his plane seat to the Big Bopper, who had the flu and complained the tour bus was too cold and uncomfortable for his large size. These include: fractured skull; fractured cervical spine; ruptured aorta; ruptured liver and ruptured heart. Mom-influencer convicted of lying about kids' attempted kidnapping, Texans conclude 2023 NFL Draft with 5 offensive players, 4 defensive, Vietnamese community remembers Fall of Saigon 48 years later. HistoryNet.com contains daily features, photo galleries and over 25,000 articles originally published in our nine magazines. 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.". He was the only person inside the airplane when it crashed. 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. After the plane encountered intense levels of turbulence, it fell nose-first in a ravine in the Cvennes Mountains. Sadly, there were two other up-and-coming stars with Holly on board the plane. On top of that, Aaliyah showcased her acting chops in "Romeo Must Die.". 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. According to Jet, four members of the Bar-Kays band, their valet, and the pilot also died. The investigation blamed pilot Peterson, who was not prepared for the weather he encountered on the flight. On Feb. 3, 1959, Holly was killed in a plane crash in Clear Lake, Iowa, just a few miles away from the airport, along with fellow musicians Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson. The trio of rock legends all died on impact in a small plane crash while departing Mason City, Iowa, on Feb. 3, 1959, which was also immortalized in music as "The Day the Music Died." He died early in the morning of August 27, 1990, in the crash of a Bell 206B JetRanger helicopter outside Elkhorn, Wisconsin. Moreover, major lacerations and crushing can occur as well (via NATO). The 22-year-old R&B artist died after her plane went down after takeoff on Aug. 25, 2001. After Lewis agreed, Graham hopped back on the helicopter to return to his Bay Area home. The deceased were Ronnie Van Zant, the band's lead vocalist, guitar player and vocalist Steve Gaines and his sister, backup singer Cassie Gaines. Her body recovered and buried at the All Souls Cemetery in California. Cline, Hughes and musicians Harold Franklin Hankshaw Hawkins and Llody Estel Cowboy Copas were all killed. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. Rivera, a native of Long Beach, California, was known as the Diva of Banda with more than 20 million albums sold worldwide and once named one of People En Espaol's 25 most powerful women. Celebrities who died in a plane crash. The airplane crashed just after takeoff, killing all aboard. Mexico." What films would Heath Ledger or Paul Walker nab the lead roles for if they didn't leave us so soon? The singer, known for hits like Four Walls, took off from Batesville, Arkansas, on July 31, 1964, for a flight to Nashville. Copyright 2023 KTRK-TV. For more specific lists about other aircraft related deaths, see Sports Teams Killed in Airplane Crashes,Rock Stars and Bands Killed in Airplane Crashesand Celebrities Who Died in Helicopter Crashes. Many people who can afford itoften use choppers and smaller planes to speed up travel times while working and on tour. 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. As historian Larry Jordan recalled toBillboard, "When he became successful, and he had the freedom to experiment, he began gravitating toward the pop world. The bodies of Lidle and certified instructor Tyler Stanger were found in the street, where the vessel plummeted after hitting the residential building. Montgomery continued to perform under the band's name despite Gentry's death. 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. Read on to learn which mega stars' lives were cut short after they died in plane crashes. 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. But sadly, Redding would never enjoy his accomplishment as he died in a plane crash on December 10, 1967. What new music would artists like soul singer Amy Winehouse and rapper Mac Miller release if they didn't die before 30? He is also the author of Maine Roads to Gettysburg, Searching for George Gordon Meade: The Forgotten Victor of Gettysburg, and other books. Plenty of people have survived plane crashes and have lived to tell the tale of their life-altering physical and emotional injuries. The group was heading to Texas for a performance with deputy Walter Braxton stating, "It was a single-engine plane, I believe. Pilot error was the likely cause, the flight agency determined. All aboard, four passengers and pilot Jeff Brown, were killed. After filming a music video in the Bahamas, Aaliyah and her crew boarded a private plane to fly back to Florida. 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. Vote for Your Favourite People Who Died In Plane Crash, (Singer-Songwriter & Pioneer in Mid 1950's Rock and Roll), (One of the Greatest Heavyweight Boxers of All Time), (One of the Most Influential Vocalists of the 20th Century), (One of the Most Decorated American Combat Soldiers of World War II), (A 'Rock and Roll' Pioneer and a Forefather of the 'Chicano Rock' Movement), (Puerto Rican Professional Baseball Right Fielder), (American Actress Who was Known for Her Off-Beat Roles in Screwball Comedies), (Indian Nationalist Who Participated in Indian Freedom Movement), (Folk and Rock Singer Best Known for His Third album 'You Don't Mess Around with Jim'), (American Singer Known for Her Work in 'Banda', 'Mariachi' and 'Norteo' Music Genres), (Composer, conductor, and orchestrator of film scores), (American Civil Aviator and the First African-American Woman to Hold a Pilot License), (Son of American Entertainer Dean Martin), (South African Cricketer Who was Banned from Cricket for His Role in Match-Fixing Scandal), (American Peace Activist and Child Actress Who Became Famous for Her Anti-War Outreaches During the Cold War), (The First Person to Fly Solo Nonstop Around the World in a Balloon and in a Fixed-Wing Aircraft), (American Auto Racing Driver and Team Owner), (Native American Aviator Who Completed the First Solo Flight around the World), (American Entrepreneur, Racing Driver and Heir to the Woolworth Fortune), (One of the Founding Fathers of Czechoslovakia), (First American Star in Ice Hockey by the Hockey Hall of Fame). 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. 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. As soon as the helicopter took off, the pilot reported engine problems and decided to perform an autorotation. 'They are now gone, but wi.. Another highly unfortunate case was the crash in which three popular celebrities Patsy Cline, Hawkshaw Hawkins, and Cowboy Copas perished together. Davey Allison, 32: The NASCAR driver died July 13, 1993, when he attempted to land his helicopter and it crashed. 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? He was 35. Tragic events like devastating car crashes to overdoses have resulted in way too many talents leaving the earth way before their time. 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. Stewart was a three-time major champion, winning the PGA Championship in 1989, and the U.S. Open in 1991 and 1999. Halladay an . 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." Reeves was at the controls of his single-engine Beechcraft 35-B33 Debonair. Sometimes, the remains are found nowhere near the rest of the plane. Theories abound about what happened. In addition,The New York Times reported traces of cocaine and alcohol in the pilot's system. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Also killed was Lidle's flight instructor, from whom he had been taking lessons. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the crash, per reports. But the crash says as much about the times in which it occurred as the circumstances surrounding it. and "Try Again"earned her the nickname the "Princess of R&B," and by the age of 22, she already had three successful albums. 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. 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. After shooting a music video, she and eight other people had boarded the chartered Cessna for a flight from the Bahamas to Florida. The aircraft was smaller than the one they took to the . 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. Valens, whose big hit was La Bamba, got a seat on the airplane after winning a coin flip with guitarist Tommy Allsup. 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. The three were part of a traveling entourage called the Winter Dance Party, which also included Waylon Jennings. MCA Records later re-released Street Survivors with a different coverthe original had shown the band surrounded by flames. It is not known who was flying the plane at the time of the crash. While on the approach to Madison the airplane plunged into Lake Monona. EDIT: http://abcnews.go.com/ABC_Univision/Entertainment/banda-supestar-jenni-rivera-dies-plane-crash/story?id=17919621#.UMZTHIPedNo, http://abcnews.go.com/ABC_Univision/Entertainment/banda-supestar-jenni-rivera-dies-plane-crash/story?id=17919621#.UMZTHIPedNo. On March 19, 1982, Randy Rhoads, guitarist for rocker Ozzy Osbourne, died in the crash of a Beechcraft Bonanza in Leesburg, Florida. Archived post. The famed pop singer of hits such as "Rocky Mountain High" died when he plowed his private plane into California's Monterey Bay. Was frontman for the band Lynyrd Skynyrd. Twenty other people aboard the Convair survived. 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. The Tennessean reported that before trying to land at their final destination, the group stopped in Dyersburg, Tennessee, to refuel. 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. Muffat won a gold, silver and bronze medal at the 2012 Olympics in London. The date of the musicians' deaths has been dubbed "the day music died.". Fernandez was a two-time All-Star and the NL rookie of the year in 2013. At one point, Prefontaine held the American record at every distance from 2,000 to 10,000 meters. The helicopter had departed from the Alpine Valley Music Theater for a flight to Chicagos Midway Airport following Vaughans concert appearance with Eric Clapton and others. 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. Rocky Marciano. Anyway, I'm just an engineering student with very little statistics background. A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium? Along the way, however, his plane disappeared over the English Channel. The flight flew out of Greenville, South Carolina, en route to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, when it crashed near Gillsburg, Mississippi. She had been traveling from the Bahamas to Miami after filming the music video for her song "Rock the Boat." 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. The cause of the fire was believed to be a defective heater. His co-pilot was 21 and allegedly not licensed to fly outside the U.S. Poor communication. According to the report by the National Transportation Safety Board, The pilot, who was a rock group driver, took an aircraft from the hangar without permission to joy ride members of the group.. 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." 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. 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. - Getty "The Day the Music Died" also claimed the lives of Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson, better . Traveling by air proved fatal to these popular performers, including Buddy Holly. The death of singer Aaliyah in a 2001 plane crash was just one of many notable celebrity deaths due to a plane crash. 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. Factors including speed, size, and the site of the crash determine what will remain of the body, although often, a large number of body parts are missing. 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. She had completed a music video shoot on the islands. Different factors are involved. Five months earlier, he had led the Flyers to the Stanley Cup Final and won the Vezina Trophy as the leagues top goalie. From plane malfunctions to severe weather conditions to pilot error, these incidents show that tragedy can strike at any moment and with anyone, famous or not. Sadly, it would be the only No. These celebrities were known in different fields such as music, science and acting.. It was scheduled to arrive in Toluca, outside Mexico City, before sunrise. Jenni Rivera. The investigation blamed pilot error. A look at some of them: Nick Adenhart, 22: The Angels right-hander was killed April . The 22-year-old R&B artist died after her plane went down after takeoff on Aug. 25, 2001. 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. Kathleen Cavendish, Marchioness of Hartington, born Kathleen Kennedy and nicknamed Kick, was the 28-year-old sister of President John F. Kennedy. An autopsy later determined Halladay had high concentrations of morphine and amphetamines in his system, as well as the sedative known as Ambien. The journey ended up being more treacherous than expected. There is no doubt that the fear of a plane crash is amongst the most common fears that people harbour. 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. Jerome Brown, 27: The Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle died on June 25, 1992, when his car crashed into a utility pole. The latter five victims were all from Brentwood and were members of Lara's church, according to News Channel 5. Singer Patsy Cline, who was killed in a crash of a Piper Comanche in 1963 (from the Autumn 2022 issue of Aviation History), was neither the first nor the last popular musician to die in an airplane crash. 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. One says a British bomber returning home after bad weather had obscured its target jettisoned its bomb load and accidentally blew the Norseman out of the air; another speculated that the Norsemans wings had iced over, causing the airplane to plunge into the Channel. 1 spot on the Billboard charts, making it his second and last No. More likely than not, the victim wouldn't feel a thing or perhaps even realize what is happening. Sadly, the singer made the mistake of flying into more stormy weather and did not level his wings as he made a crucial turn. Ritchie Valens, Buddy Holly and the "Big Bopper". 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. He crashed within seconds. According toInsider, there are several ways to increase your chance of surviving if a plane crash does occur. Misinterpreting data. He was only 22 years old when he died, but Holly left behind a lasting legacy, best known for songs like "Peggy Sue" and "Oh Boy!" 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. She was alone in the rain forest for 11 days before she was found. Of the seven passengers, the only survivor was 20-year-old Ben Cauley, one of the musicians. The band confirmed Gentry's death in a post on their Facebook page and stated that details surrounding the crash were unknown. After his death, Reeves was inducted into theCountry Music Hall of Fame in 1967. Pelle Lindbergh, 26: The Philadelphia Flyers goalie died Nov. 11, 1985, after he lost control of his car and struck a wall. The world mourned the loss of a sports icon when Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020, in Calabasas, California. The 53-year-old, who was best known in Banda music, died in a plane crash on Dec. 9, 2012. Roy Halladay, 40: The retired pitcher was killed Nov. 7, 2017, when the aircraft he was piloting crashed into the Gulf of Mexico. Kobe Bryant joins a list of athletes who died young in vehicle or aviation accidents. 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 Roberto Clemente Foundation stated that the plane was overloaded, with a wrongful death suit filed by Clemente's wife, Vera Zabala Clemente, stating that the plane experienced engine failure before it went down. Jenni died at the age of 42. Air Force and National Guard jets intercepted the Learjet and reported its windows were fogged or frozen and there was no sign of life. These are some of the notable celebrities who have died in aircraft disasters over the years: The 50-year-old was one half of the country music duo Montgomery Gentry. These include choosing a middle seat in the back rows, bracing for impact, and wearing tight-fitting clothing. However, an explosion would mean a death that was rapid and pain-free. He said that it was the first time he ever won anything. Shortly after taking off, the helicopter crashed into a nearby ski mountain. All three people died on the plane. Tom Huntington is the editor of Aviation History and World War II magazines. ), At Willie Nelson 90, country, rock and rap stars pay tribute, but Willie and Trigger steal the show, Concertgoer lets out a loud full body orgasm while L.A. Phil plays Tchaikovskys 5th, Dodgers dont need the long ball to finish sweep of Cardinals, Lakers vs. Warriors: What scouts expect in playoff series, School is in session as Sparks begin training camp, The Times final regular-season top 25 baseball rankings. Redding was just 26 years old. Contact was lost about 60 miles away, Mexico's transportation ministry said in a statement. The two were on a sight-seeing trip before a scheduled concert. All Rights Reserved. Plane wreckage from the 1959 crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Gig Bopper. A photo showed Kennedy Jr. embracing his wife and kissing her on the cheek. 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. It was his first #1 record. 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. Thanks! 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. 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. According to History,Aerosmith was considering using the plane for themselves that same year, but it was believed to be unfit after an inspection of the crew. 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. Rivera was 43 years old. After serving as David Bowies guitarist on the 1983 album Lets Dance, Stevie Ray Vaughan, 35, enjoyed a successful solo career as a blues singer/guitarist with his band Double Trouble. 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). 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. Petrovic had just led the New Jersey Nets to the playoffs, averaging a career-high 22.3 points. But the badly overloaded DC-7 cargo plane crashed because of engine failure immediately after takeoff. Describing the action,Plane and Pilotreported that instead of starting the autorotation below the runway, the pilot cut the engine too soon over a wooded area. The plane's wreckage was found near Iturbide, Mexico. The band's assistant road manager, Dean Kilpatrick, also died. However, 20 people onboard managed to survive, per Rolling Stone. Right IconThis ranking is based on an algorithm that combines various factors, including the votes of our users and search trends on the internet. In 1964 an Ohio woman took up the challenge that had led to Amelia Earharts disappearance. The accident investigation determined that the airplane ran out of fuel because the pilots had neglected to properly check their fuel status. The pilot, who was 78, was reportedly not allowed to fly a plane of that weight. "Encyclopedia of African American History, 1896 to the Present: I-T,", Direccin General de Aeronutica Civil of Mexico, Ozzy Osbourne was ousted from Black Sabbath, National Transportation Safety Board's accident report. After his death, Croce's song "Time in a Bottle" reached the No. 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.. Brown was a first-team All-Pro twice. 45: The former heavyweight boxing champion died Aug. 31, 1969, when the plane he was in hit a tree two miles short of landing in Iowa. Redding and members of his band, the Bar-Kays, had taken off from the airport in Cleveland for a flight to Madison, Wisconsin, with pilot Richard Fraser. However, the plane and bodies ofKennedy Jr, his wife, and his sister-in-lawwere later located on July 21. In a statement, the NTSB said, "The pilot's early entry into and failure to maintain rotor rpm during a forced landing autorotation after performing an engine shutdown in flight, which resulted in an uncontrolled descent.". Per Ranker, 95% of people who crash while on a plane survive. There were no survivors. And when it's a celebrity who dies in a plane crash, the entire world is plunged into shock and grief. He was in that league.". He was the National League most valuable player in 1966 and won two World Series titles with the Pirates. She suddenly found herself falling through the air while still strapped in her seat. Allison won 19 races, including the 1992 Daytona 500. Musician Denver who, ironically, sang the tune "Leaving on a Jet Plane" was also a pilot who had ample experience in the air. The eight other people on board the plane were also killed. Read on to learn more about famous people who died in plane crash. Redding and his band were just miles from the airport, en route from a series of performances in Cleveland. 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. At some point during the flight, the aircraft suffered depressurization and veered off the planned course, continuing to fly on autopilot. Rolling Stone reported that one of the last songs Cline recorded before her death was"Sweet Dreams,"which became a Top 10 Hit on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. Unfortunately, plane crashes are much more common than we like to admit. 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. PerNBC News, the National Transportation Safety Boardwould later reveal that the cause of the crash was due to pilot error. 1 hit. 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. Holly was 22. If an explosion occurs, it's more likely that passengers will die before the actual crash. According to the Los Angeles Times, the "Basta Ya" songstress had given what would be her final performance atArena Monterrey when she boarded her plane at around 3 a.m. with her team, which included a makeup artist, hair stylist, her lawyer, and a publicist. Sadly, her life was taken too soon when she died in a plane crash, along with six others, near Monterrey, Mexico, on December 9, 2012. Whether they produced battlefield images of the dead or daguerreotype portraits of common soldiers, []. John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, 1999. SingerTroy Gentry and Eddie Montgomery made up the country music duo Montgomery Gentry and scored numerous hits like "If You Ever Stop Loving Me," "Something to be Proud Of," and "Roll with Me." As horrifying as this sounds, the suffering for those who die in plane crashes is astonishingly minimal. 3.7K views, 154 likes, 14 loves, 55 comments, 6 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from TV3 Ghana: #News360 || 30-04-23 .

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