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Celebrity Plane Crashes: Stars Who Died In Aviation Accidents

By:
June 15, 2025 4:19PM EDT
Celebrity Plane Crashes: Stars Who Died In Aviation Accidents
Redferns

These stars were all involved in aviation accidents over the past century.

American air travel has become a weary subject lately. Since the start of 2025, multiple aviation incidents — including plane crashes and midair collisions — have frightened travelers from boarding a plane. Many are asking if it’s even safe to fly anymore, but experts insist that past data proves that modern-day aviation is safe. With the onslaught of aircraft issues, social media users have recalled the countless celebrities who died from plane crashes and other incidents.

From two members of Lynyrd Skynyrd to Aaliyah, quite a few well-known musicians lost their lives in the air. Moreover, John F. Kennedy Jr.’s 1999 crash also broke the public’s hearts after the news broke.

We’re remembering the celebrities who died in plane crashes and aviation incidents in our gallery below.

1 of 10

Aaliyah: August 25, 2001

Aaliyah: August 25, 2001

After filming a music video in the Bahamas, Aaliyah and her crew boarded a private plane to fly back to Florida. The aircraft was smaller than the one they took to the island, and it crashed and exploded just 200 feet from the runway. All nine people on-board were killed.

September 13, 2017, 9:59AM
2 of 10

Troy Gentry: September 8, 2017

Troy Gentry: September 8, 2017
REX/Shutterstock

Troy Gentry was flying to his show in New Jersey via helicopter when the aircraft crashed at the Flying W Airport, killing the country singer and pilot on-board. The copter suffered mechanical issues just before landing, and the pilot decided to hover above the airport and wait for the fire department to arrive, but it went down before officials got to the scene.

September 13, 2017, 9:56AM
3 of 10

Buddy Holly: February 3, 1959

Buddy Holly: February 3, 1959
REX/Shutterstock

Buddy Holly, two of his bandmates, and a pilot were killed instantly when their private plane crashed in Iowa. The group was traveling from Mason City, Iowa to Minnesota in inclement weather, and the aircraft went down just five miles from the take-off point.

September 13, 2017, 9:56AM
4 of 10

John Denver: October 12, 1997

John Denver: October 12, 1997
REX/Shutterstock

John Denver, who had nearly 3,000 hours of experience as a pilot, was flying for leisure when his plane crashed in California’s Monterey Bay because he was not able to switch the fuel tanks during the flight. At the time of the accident, John was not legally permitted to fly, as he’d had several drunk driving arrests and his medical certification was revoked. After his death, it was also determined that John didn’t have adequate training in the aircraft he was flying. The autopsy found no sign of drugs or alcohol.

September 13, 2017, 9:56AM
5 of 10

Lynyrd Skynyrd: October 20, 1997

Lynyrd Skynyrd: October 20, 1997
REX/Shutterstock

Two members of Lynyrd Skynrd, along with a backup singer and road manager, were killed when their plane ran out of fuel and crashed in Mississippi. The pilot and co-pilot also died in the accident, although there were also 20 survivors. 

September 13, 2017, 9:56AM
6 of 10

Otis Redding: December 10, 1967

Otis Redding: December 10, 1967
REX/Shutterstock

Despite bad weather, Otis Redding and his band decided to travel from Cleveland to Wisconsin in a private plane on the evening of Dec. 9, 1967. Less than four miles from the destination, the plane crashed into Lake Monona, and the cause for the crash was never determined. Otis, four bandmates and the pilot were killed, leaving trumpet player, Ben Cauley, as the only survivor.

September 13, 2017, 9:56AM
7 of 10

Jenni Rivera: December 9, 2012

Jenni Rivera: December 9, 2012
REX/Shutterstock

Jenni Rivera was traveling in a small, business jet with four other passengers and two crew members from Monterrey, Mexico to Toluca, Mexico. 20 minutes into the flight, air traffic controllers lost contact with the plane. Later in the day, the wreckage was found, and everyone on-board was presumed dead. The exact cause of the crash was never determined.

September 13, 2017, 9:56AM
8 of 10

John F. Kennedy Jr: July 16, 1999

John F. Kennedy Jr: July 16, 1999
REX/Shutterstock

John F. Kennedy Jr was piloting an aircraft with his wife, Carolyn Bessette, and sister-in-law, Lauren, on July 16, 1999. The plane was headed toward Martha’s Vineyard, Masschusetts, but crashed in the Atlantic Ocean off the state’s coast. The trio’s bodies were not recovered for five days, and autopsies confirmed that they all died upon impact.

September 13, 2017, 9:56AM
9 of 10

Patsy Cline: March 5, 1963

Patsy Cline: March 5, 1963
REX/Shutterstock

Patsy Cline was traveling from Kansas City to Nashville with two other passengers and one crew member, pilot Randy Hughes, on March 5, 1963. After landing to refuel in Arkansas, and making a pit stop in Dyersburg, Tennessee, Randy was told that weather conditions were marginal for the flight. The plane took off anyway, then crashed near Camden, Tennessee minutes later. Everyone on-board was killed.

September 13, 2017, 9:59AM
10 of 10

Cory Lidle: October 11, 2006

Cory Lidle: October 11, 2006
REX/Shutterstock

New York Yankees pitcher, Cory Lidle, was piloting a single-engine aircraft, with his flight instructor on-board, when he crashed into New York City’s Belaire Apartments. Both men on-board were killed, and 21 people in the building sustained injuries.

September 13, 2017, 9:56AM