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Date/Time | Person | Age | Notability | Location | Aircraft | Details | Notes |
Aug 27, 1990 01:00 |
Stevie Ray Vaughan |
35 | American singer, songwriter, blues guitarist | Elkhorn, Wisconsin |
Bell BHT-206B helicopter N16933 |
Crashed into terrain after taking off in fog. Pilot error. Failure of pilot to attain adequate altitude before flying over rising terrain. All 5 aboard killed. | PHOTO |
Mar 9, 1991 | Jim Hardin |
47 | Former baseball player for the Baltimore Orioles, pitcher | Key West, Florida | Beech 35-C33A N4828J |
Unable to maintain airspeed, stalled and went into a spin following propeller failure due to faulty maintenance procedures. All 3 aboard killed. | |
Mar 16, 1991 01:41 |
Reba McEntire band |
American country singing group | San Diego, California | Hawker Siddeley DH-125-1A/522 N831LC |
Seven members of the Reba McEntire band killed. Hit rising terrain at the top of a mountain after taking off. Pilot error. All 10 aboard killed. | PHOTO | |
Apr 4, 1991 | H. John Heinz III |
53 | Pennsylvania U.S. Senator | Merion, Pennsylvania | Piper Aerostar 601/ Bell 412SP N3645D/N78S |
While inspecting the nose gear of the Piper, helicopter blades struck the underside of the plane. All 5 aboard both planes killed. Two children in a school yard also killed. | PHOTO |
Apr 5, 1991 |
John Tower Manley "Sonny" Carter Jr. |
66 44 |
Texas Senator U.S. astronaut |
Brunswick, Georgia | Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 2311 Embraer 120RT N270AS |
While on approach the aircraft rolled left and crashed in a nose down attitude. Malfunction of the left engine propeller control unit. All 23 aboard killed. | PHOTO |
Jul 31, 1991 |
Al Loquasto |
48 | Italian-American racecar driver | Fogelsville, Pennsylvania | Piper PA28-236 N28568 |
The wings of the plane separated from the fuselage after the VFR rated pilot, Loquasto, flew into a violent thunderstorm. | |
Oct 25, 1991 |
Bill Graham |
60 | American rock promoter | Vallejo, California | Bell 206B helicopter N3456M |
The helicopter struck a transmission tower and exploded shortly after taking off into high winds and rain. Pilot error. Graham, companion Melissa Gold and pilot Steve Kahn killed. | PHOTO |
Apr 1, 1993 21:28 |
Alan Kulwicki |
39 | American race car driver | Blountville, Tennessee | Fairchild SA227-TT N500AK |
The Hooters restaurant private plane crashed while attempting to land. Pilot error. Failure of pilot to follow anti-icing procedures. All 4 aboard killed. | |
Apr 19, 1993 |
George Mickelson |
52 | South Dakota Governor | Zwingle, Iowa |
Mitsubishi MU-2B-60 N86SD |
Crashed into silo. Fracture of the propeller hub resulted in separation of the propeller blade and damage to the engine, leading to loss of control. All 8 aboard killed. | PHOTO |
Apr 27, 1993 | Zambian national soccer team | Sports teem | Off Libreville, Gabon | Zambia Air Force de Havilland Buffalo |
Crashed into the sea after an engine fire. All 30 aboard killed including 18 members of the team. | ||
Jul 12, 1993 14:55 |
David "Davey" Allison |
30 | American race car driver | Talladega, Alabama | Hughes 369HS helicopter N9116F |
The helicopter piloted by Allison, crashed while attempting to land in the infield of Talladega Speedway. Pilot's failure to properly compensate for the tailwind condition, coupled with the pilot's lack of experience in the airframe. | |
Aug 3, 1993 |
Dr. Alwyn Gentry Theodore Parker III |
48 40 |
American botanist American ornithologist |
Near Guayaquii, Ecuador | Private plane | The aircraft crashed into a cloud covered mountain peak while performing an aerial reconnaissance survey for Conservation International. Four of 7 aboard killed. | |
Dec 15, 1993 |
Rich Snyder |
41 | President of the In-N-Out Hamburger chain | Santa Ana, California | Charter plane Israel Aircraft Industries 1124A N309CK |
The aircraft followed in a Boeing 757 for landing, became caught in its wake turbulence, rolled into a deep descent and crashed. All 5 onboard killed. | |
Mar 23, 1994 | Robert Richards |
38 | KSDK TV weatherman | Chesterfield, Missouri | Piper PA-23-180 N3365R |
Committed suicide by taking off and deliberately diving the plane vertically into the ground. He was despondent over news media accounts of an extra marital affair and attempted suicide twice prior to the suicide. | |
Apr 3, 1994 | Frank Wells Beverly Johnson |
62 46 |
President of Disney pioneering rock climber and adventurer, documentary film maker |
Lamoille, Nevada | Bell 206-B2 helicopter N27736 |
The accident occurred while on a skiing trip. The helicopter lost engine power while attempting to take off crashing in the Ruby Mountains. Snow accumulation in the engine while on the ground resulting in a flameout. Four of 5 aboard killed. | |
Apr 6, 1994 | Cyprien Ntaryamira Juvenal Habyarimana |
39 57 |
President of Burundi President of Rwanda |
Kigali, Rwanda | Dassault Facon 50 9XR-NN |
Shot down by a missile while on approach to Kigali airport. | |
Sep 18, 1994 | Omalie Aimuanmwosari |
Nigerian soccer player | Tamanrasset, Algeria | Oriental Airlines BAC One-Eleven 5N-IMO |
After circling for almost an hour and a half and aborting four landing attempts in adverse weather conditions, the aircraft ran out of fuel and crashed. Five of 39 aboard killed. | ||
Oct 25, 1994 | Lt. Kara Hultgren |
29 | First American female fighter pilot | Off San Diego, California | F-14 Tomcat | Killed while attempting to land her fighter jet on the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln. | |
Dec 13, 1994 | Bryan Kerchalt |
23 | Bass Masters Classic winner | Morrisville, North Carolina | American Eagle Jetstream 3201 N918AE |
After a suspected engine flameout the pilot attempted a go-around, stalled the plane and crashed. Pilot error. Fifteen of 20 aboard killed. | PHOTO |
Jan 4, 1995 | Eduardo Mata |
52 | Mexican conductor and composer | Cuernavaca, Mexico | Piper Aerostar | Piloted by Mata, the small plane crashed shortly after taking off from Cuernavaca Airport after an engine failed. | |
Mar 14, 1995 11:45 |
Silvio Oltra |
37 | Argentine race car driver | San Nicholas, Argentina | Bell 206-B3 Helicopter LV-WFZ |
Struck power lines while taking off. Menem was piloting the helicopter. | |
Apr 27, 1995 | Sylvester J. "Steve" Wittman | 91 | American aircraft designer and racer | Stevenson, Alabama | Wittman O&O N41SW |
Crashed after aileron wing flutter caused Wittman to lose control of the aircraft. The flutter was caused by the separation of fabric on the wing as a result of improper installation. Wittman and his wife both killed. | |
Mar 2, 1996 | Mamonas Assassinas |
Brazilian rock group | São Paulo, Brazil | Learjet 25 PT-LSD |
All eight aboard, including five members of the band were killed. | ||
Mar 22, 1996 12:30 |
Robert Overmyer 59, |
59 | U.S. astronaut | Duluth, Minnesota | Cirrus VK30 experimental N44VK |
Lost control, rolled inverted and crashed while flying a small test plane for Cirrus Design Corp. He was not able to free himself in time to use his parachute. | |
Apr 3, 1996 13:00 |
Ron Brown |
55 | U.S. Secretary of Commerce | Near Dubrovnik, Croatia | Boeing 737-T43 73-1149 |
Strayed off course and hit a hill 16 kms SE of Dubrovnik in poor weather. Crew used unapproved approach procedure. All 35 aboard killed. | PHOTO |
Apr 11, 1996 08:24 |
Jessica Dubroff |
7 | Trainee pilot attempting to cross the United States | Cheyenne, Wyoming | Cessna 177B Cardinal N35207 |
Stalled after taking off into a thunderstorm and deteriorating weather. Engaged in transcontinental record. Overloaded. Pilot error. The training pilot and father of Dubroff killed. | PHOTO |
Apr 16, 1996 | Charlie Hillard |
62 | American aerobatic champion | Lakeland, Florida | Hawker Siddeley FB-60 N222CH |
Veered off the runway and nosed over while attempting to land in a crosswind. Pilot's improper use of brakes and ailerons while landing in crosswind. 1 killed. | |
Apr 18, 1996 14:30 |
Brook Berringer |
22 | University of Nebraska quarterback | Raymond, Nebraska | Piper J3C-65 Cub N6510H |
Crashed into an alfalfa field. Loss of engine power due to fuel starvation due to a partially closed fuel lever. Pilot error. Berringer was piloting the plane. | PHOTO |
May 11, 1996 14:15 |
Walter Hyatt Rodney Culver |
46 26 |
American singer, songwriter Football player. San Diego Chargers running back |
Near Miami, Florida | ValuJet Flight 592 DC-9-32 N904VJ |
An in-flight fire caused by illegally transported oxygen generators lacking safety caps caused an uncontrollable fire and loss of control of the aircraft. The plane crashed into a swamp in the Everglades. All 110 aboard killed. | |
Jun 19, 1996 | Hellevi Rombin | 62 | Beauty queen. Miss Universe 1955 | Los Angeles, California | Beechcraft MusketeerC-23 | Engine failure caused by improper maintenance | |
Jul 15, 1996 | Royal Netherlands Army Fanfare | Netherlands army band | Eindhoven, Netherlands | Lockheed C-130 Hercules | Ingested birds during the approach to land. Twenty-three out of 37 band members killed. | ||
Jul 17, 1996 20:31 |
Marcel Dadi Sylvain Delange Rico Puhlmann |
45 35 52 |
French country and western guitarist French artist Photographer |
Off East Moriches, New York | Trans World AL Flight 800 Boeing 747-131 N93119 cn:20083 |
An explosion in the center fuel tank of the aircraft caused the plane to break-up in mid-air and crash into the Atlantic Ocean. All 230 aboard killed. | |
Nov 23, 1996 15:15 |
Mohamed "Mo" Amin |
53 | Famous Kenyan photographer | Off Moroni, Comoros | Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961 Boeing B-767 ET-AIZ |
Three drunken hijackers caused the plane to run out of fuel and crash 500 yards off shore. One-hundred -twenty-seven of 175 people aboard were killed. | |
Mar 2, 1997 | Lars Bergstrom |
67 | Swedish sailboat, sailplane designer | Near Sarasota, Florida | Windex 1200 Home-built experimental motorized sailplane |
Bergstrom was killed while he was performing stall tests in preparation for an air show. |
|
Jun 6, 1997 | Jeffrey Ethell |
49 | American aviation author | Tillamook, Oregon | P-38 N7973 |
Ethell, who was piloting the plane failed to maintain minimum control speed after loss of power in one engine, which resulted in a loss of aircraft control and collision with terrain. | |
Aug 10, 1997 13:30 |
Marie-Soleil Tougas Jean-Claude Lauzon |
27 43 |
French Canadian movie actress French Canadian film director |
Near Kuujjuaqn, Quebec Canada | Cessna 180K C-GIGK |
Flew into a mountainside in strong winds and rain while returning from a fishing trip. Cause unknown. | PHOTO |
Oct 12, 1997 17:28 |
John Denver |
53 | American singer, songwriter | Monterey Bay near Pacific Grove, California | Rutan Long EZ experimental N555JD |
Piloted by Denver. Lost control and went into a dive while reaching behind to turn a fuel transfer switch. | PHOTO |
Jan 9, 1998 17:56 |
Richard Graff |
61 | Winemaker, co- founder of Chalone Wine Group | Salinas, California | Cessna 182P N8158M |
Crashed while attempting to make an emergency landing at Salinas Airport after loosing engine power. Loss of power was due to a missing valve keep (maintenance error). | |
Sep 2, 1998 22:30 |
Jonathan Mann Joseph LaMotta |
52 49 |
AIDS esearcher Noted chef, son of boxing champ Jake LaMotta. |
Off Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia | Swissair Flight 111 MD-11 HB-IWF |
Crashed into the Atlantic after the crew reported smoke in the cockpit and cabin. A major fire broke out near the cockpit. All 229 aboard killed. | |
Nov 21, 1998 17:43 |
William Gardner Knight |
56 | American movie actor | Edgewater, Maryland | Burgess RV-6 experimental N956DB |
The plane, piloted by Knight, failed to clear trees while attempting to land in the dark and crashed into Beard's Creek. 1 killed. | PHOTO |
Dec 20, 1998 18:30 |
Phil Stubbs |
36 | New Zealand ocean rowing champion | Auckland, New Zealand | Piper PA-18 ZK-BTX |
Piloted by Stubbs, the plane took off, turned to the right and nose-dived into Karekare Beach. | PHOTO |
Apr 2, 1999 | Michael Bell 33, |
33 | New Zealand boxer | Tuatapere, New Zealand | South West Helicopters Aerospatiale AS 350B ZK-HBH |
Flew into trees in Rowallan forest, while en route on a hunting trip from Clifden to Fiordland. Possible pilot incapacitation. All 5 aboard killed. | |
May 19, 1999 17:25 |
Juergen Staudte 61, |
61 | Inventor of the quartz crystal for digital watches | Near Tucumcari, New Mexico | Piper PA-23E-250 N54263 |
After losing power in one engine during takeoff, the pilot attempted to return to land. When it was discovered the gear was not down a go-around was initiated. Soon after, the plane entered a left bank, stalled and crashed to the ground. | |
Jul 16,1999 |
John F. Kennedy Jr. |
38 | American lawyer, journalist, magazine publisher and son of President Kennedy | Off Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts |
Piper Saratoga II N9253N |
Piloted by Kennedy, the aircraft went out of control and spiraled into into the Atlantic Ocean SW of Martha's Vineyard. Kennedy, not IFR qualified, lost reference with the ground. His wife and sister-in-law also killed. VFR flight into IFR conditions. All 3 aboard killed. | PHOTO |
Sep 18, 1999 16:05 |
Gary Levitz |
61 | Air racer, furniture executive. Levitz furniture heir | Reno, Nevada | P-51R experimental N57LR |
Crashed during the Reno National Championship Air Races after his plane suffered structural failure. | |
Sep 25, 1999 | Stephen Canaday |
49 | Songwriter. Former member of singing group Ozark Mountain Daredevils | Nashville, Tennessee | North American T-6-SNJ5 N23ZH |
The vintage WW II plane he was riding in, rolled inverted and crashed into a tree. The pilot failed to maintain speed which resulted in a stall. Impairment of the pilot due to the use of drugs. | |
Sep 25, 1999 |
Mark Hanna |
40 | British preserver of vintage aircraft | Sabadell, Spain | Hispano Buchon | Hanna was part of a large flying display when his plane crashed and burst into flames while attempting to land. Hanna died of his injuries a day later. | |
Oct 25, 1999 11:20 |
Payne Stewart |
42 | American pro golfer | Aberdeen, South Dakota | Gates Learjet 35 N47BA |
The aircraft flew out of control on autopilot for 1,500 miles before crashing in a field . Pressurization failure. All six aboard killed. | PHOTO |
Oct 31, 1999 |
Claude Masson |
58 | Canadian journalist | Off Nantucket Island, Massachusetts | EgyptAir Flight 990 Boeing 767 SU-GAP |
After attaining an altitude of 33,000 ft. the aircraft made several dives before breaking apart and crashing into the Atlantic Ocean. All 217 aboard killed. | |
Dec 12, 1999 16:45 |
Peter La Haye Sr. |
59 | Inventor of implant lenses for cataract patients | Gouldsboro, Pennsylvania | Westwind 24 turbojet N50PL |
The aircraft impacted trees and crashed into woods while attempting to land. The accident was caused by improper assembly of the horizontal stabilizer trim actuator unit by maintenance personnel. All 3 aboard killed. |