List Of Famous People Who Died In Plane Crash

There is no doubt that the fear of a plane crash is amongst the most common fears that people harbour. 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. While the common man can avoid plane travel, it’s not a luxury celebrities can afford! With hectic schedules and numerous professional commitments, famous people from all walks of life are required to fly regularly. 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. And when it’s a celebrity who dies in a plane crash, the entire world is plunged into shock and grief. 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. Another highly unfortunate case was the crash in which three popular celebrities Patsy Cline, Hawkshaw Hawkins, and Cowboy Copas perished together. Read on to learn more about famous people who died in plane crash.

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 1 

Buddy Holly

(Singer-Songwriter & Pioneer in Mid 1950's Rock and Roll)

Birthdate: September 7, 1936

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Lubbock, Texas, United States

Died: February 3, 1959

Musician and singer-songwriter Buddy Holly was a central figure of mid-1950s rock and roll. Born to a musical family, he learned to sing and play the guitar as a child. He began his career as a teenager and found much success within a short period. Sadly, he died in an aircraft crash when he was just 22 years old.

Birthdate: September 1, 1923

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Brockton, Massachusetts, United States

Died: August 31, 1969

Rocky Marciano, also known as the Brockton Blockbuster, was the world’s only heavyweight champion to remain undefeated till the end of his career and held the heavyweight title from 1952 to 1956. The International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee held the world’s highest heavyweight knockout-to-win ratio at 85.71%.

 3 

Patsy Cline

(One of the Most Influential Vocalists of the 20th Century)

Birthdate: September 8, 1932

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Winchester, Virginia, United States

Died: March 5, 1963

Patsy Cline was an American singer widely regarded as one of 20th century's most influential, celebrated, and respected vocalists. Her singing style helped influence several artists and musical genres. She also helped define the Nashville Sound style associated with country music. She has been a major influence on artists, such as Loretta Lynn, Reba McEntire, Linda Ronstadt, and Dottie West.

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Birthdate: September 9, 1941

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Dawson, Georgia, United States

Died: December 10, 1967

The King of Soul Otis Redding, who had performed with the Pinetoppers, among others, is remembered for his track (Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay, released after his death in a plane crash. It became the first posthumous Billboard R&B- and Hot 100-topping record. He also won two posthumous Grammys. 

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Birthdate: May 8, 1940

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Teaneck, New Jersey, United States

Died: December 31, 1985

Ricky Nelson was an American pop pioneer, rock & roll star, and singer-songwriter. After establishing himself as a top teen idol during the 1950s, Ricky Nelson went on to release several chartbusting songs. He achieved great popularity and was ranked 91st on Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Greatest Artists of All Time list.

 6 

Audie Murphy

(One of the Most Decorated American Combat Soldiers of World War II)

Birthdate: June 20, 1925

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Kingston, Texas, United States

Died: May 28, 1971

Audie Murphy displayed such valor as an American soldier in World War II that he did not have problems establishing a successful acting career after the war, as he was already famous for his heroism which he demonstrated by single-handedly holding off many German soldiers for an hour before leading a successful counterattack despite being wounded and out of ammunition.

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Birthdate: November 25, 1960

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Washington, D.C., United States

Died: July 16, 1999

John F Kennedy Jr was the son of former US President John F Kennedy. He tragically died at a young age of 38 when the plane he was flying crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts in 1999. He was a lawyer and a journalist and had founded the trendy political magazine, George, which stopped publication in 2001.   

Birthdate: August 18, 1934

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Carolina, Puerto Rico

Died: December 31, 1972

Roberto Clemente was a Puerto Rican baseball player who represented the Pittsburgh Pirates in Major League Baseball (MLB). Apart from being a popular player, Clemente was also a great humanitarian whose impact is still being felt in MLB. Since his untimely death at the age of 38, Clemente has been the subject of several documentaries, articles, and books.

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 9 

Ritchie Valens

(A 'Rock and Roll' Pioneer and a Forefather of the 'Chicano Rock' Movement)

Birthdate: May 13, 1941

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States

Died: February 3, 1959

Widely regarded as the pioneer of Latin rock and Chicano rock, Ritchie Valens was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter. Since his untimely death at the age of 17, Ritchie Valens has inspired several musicians and bands like Carlos Santana, Los Lonely Boys, and Los Lobos. Valens also inspired Robert Quine, Jimi Hendrix, Keith O'Conner Murphy, and Chris Montez among others.

 10 

Carole Lombard

(American Actress Who was Known for Her Off-Beat Roles in Screwball Comedies)

Birthdate: October 6, 1908

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States

Died: January 16, 1942

Carole Lombard was part of hits such as No Man of Her Own, To Be or Not to Be, and Mr. & Mrs. Smith, before dying in a plane crash at 33. She had redefined the screwball comedy genre. She was married to Hollywood legends William Powell and Clark Gable. 

Birthdate: January 23, 1897

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Cuttack, India

Died: August 18, 1945

An Indian nationalist known for his role in the country’s struggle for freedom from the British, Subhas Chandra Bose was a politician with radical views. He was part of the Indian National Congress in the late 1920s and 1930s. However, his association with Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan made him a controversial figure.

 12 

Jim Croce

(Folk and Rock Singer Best Known for His Third album 'You Don't Mess Around with Jim')

Birthdate: January 10, 1943

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Died: September 20, 1973

Jim Croce was an American rock and folk singer-songwriter. At the peak of his popularity, Jim Croce died in a plane crash at age 30. Many of his works were released posthumously and achieved popularity. Jim Croce's music has been used in many popular films, such as The Hangover Part II, X-Men: Days of Future Past, and Hobbs & Shaw.

 13 

Jenni Rivera

(American Singer Known for Her Work in 'Banda', 'Mariachi' and 'Norteño' Music Genres)

Birthdate: July 2, 1969

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Long Beach, California, United States

Died: December 9, 2012

Jenni Rivera is remembered for her work in the genre of Regional Mexican music, especially in the Banda, Norteño, and Mariachi styles. The 22-time Billboard Latin Music Award-winning artist had also produced her own reality shows and starred in films. She died in a plane crash at age 43. 

Birthdate: January 7, 1966

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: White Plains, New York, United States

Died: July 16, 1999

Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy was a Calvin Klein publicist and the wife of John F. Kennedy Jr. Her fashion sense was often compared to that of her mother-in-law, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. A plane carrying Carolyn, her husband, and her older sister crashed off Martha's Vineyard in July 1999, killing all three.

Birthdate: August 17, 1929

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Jenkins, Kentucky, United States

Died: August 1, 1977

Francis Gary Powers was an American pilot. His Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) U-2 spy plane was shot down in what came to be known as the 1960 U-2 incident. He was performing photographic aerial reconnaissance deep inside Soviet territory when the incident occurred. He survived and later worked as a helicopter pilot for KNBC in Los Angeles.

Birthdate: October 30, 1909

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Mumbai, India

Died: January 24, 1966

Padma Bhushan-winning physicist Homi Bhabha revolutionized the Indian nuclear program singlehandedly. Born into an affluent family, he was educated at Cambridge. Initially geared toward a career in mechanical engineering, he later drifted to physics, eventually contributing to the formation of TIFR. The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre is named after him.

 17 

Bessie Coleman

(American Civil Aviator and the First African-American Woman to Hold a Pilot License)

Birthdate: January 26, 1892

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Atlanta, Texas, United States

Died: April 30, 1926

Bessie Coleman was an American civil aviator and the first African-American woman to hold a pilot license. Nicknamed Queen Bess, Coleman became a high-profile pilot in the air shows organized in the United States. Bessie Coleman died at the age of 34 in a plane crash. Her efforts to promote aviation inspired the Native American communities.

 18 

Glenn Miller

(Trombonist)

Birthdate: March 1, 1904

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Clarinda, Iowa, United States

Died: December 15, 1944

 19 

James Horner

(Composer, conductor, and orchestrator of film scores)

Birthdate: August 14, 1953

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States

Died: June 22, 2015

Height: 5'7" (170 cm)

Birthdate: November 17, 1951

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Santa Monica, California, United States

Died: March 21, 1987

Dean Paul Martin made his way into pop singing at the age of thirteen when he joined the pop group Dino, Desi & Billy. He earned a Golden Globe Award nomination for his performance in Players. He also became a successful tennis player and competed in junior competition at Wimbeldon. At the age of 16, he obtained his pilot's license.

 21 

Jim Reeves

(Singer-Songwriter)

Birthdate: August 20, 1923

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Galloway, Texas, United States

Died: July 31, 1964

Height: 6'0" (183 cm)

 22 

Samantha Smith

(American Peace Activist and Child Actress Who Became Famous for Her Anti-War Outreaches During the Cold War)

Birthdate: June 29, 1972

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Houlton, Maine, United States

Died: August 25, 1985

Samantha Smith was an American schoolgirl, child actress, and peace activist. She achieved popularity during the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States of America; she visited the Soviet Union as a goodwill ambassador which attracted extensive media attention. She also took part in peacemaking activities in Japan before dying in an airplane crash at age 13.

 23 

Hansie Cronje

(South African Cricketer Who was Banned from Cricket for His Role in Match-Fixing Scandal)

Birthdate: September 25, 1969

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Bloemfontein, South Africa

Died: June 1, 2002

Hansie Cronje was a South African international cricketer. He captained the South African national cricket team in the 1990s. In 2000, he was implicated in a cricket match-fixing scandal and banned from the sport for life. He died in a plane crash in 2002. It was rumored that he was murdered on the orders of a cricket betting syndicate.

Birthdate: January 9, 1948

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Miami, Oklahoma, United States

Died: October 20, 1977

 25 

Steve Gaines

(Musician)

Birthdate: September 14, 1949

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Miami, Oklahoma, USA

Died: October 20, 1977

 26 

Marcel Cerdan

(French Professional Boxer and World Middleweight Champion)

Birthdate: July 22, 1916

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Sidi Bel Abbès, Algeria

Died: October 28, 1949

Height: 5'7" (170 cm)

Birthdate: July 1, 1903

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England

Died: January 5, 1941

 28 

Myles Munroe

(Writer)

Birthdate: April 20, 1954

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Nassau, Bahamas

Died: November 9, 2014

 29 

Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark

(Princess)

Birthdate: June 22, 1911

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Tatoi Palace, Tatoi, Greece

Died: November 16, 1937

 30 

Steve Fossett

(The First Person to Fly Solo Nonstop Around the World in a Balloon and in a Fixed-Wing Aircraft)

Birthdate: April 22, 1944

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Jackson, Tennessee, United States

Died: September 3, 2007

Apart from being the first solo balloonist to circumnavigate the world, Steve Fossett also competed the first non-stop solo flight across the world. The adventurer also owned a securities company. His plane went missing on a 2007 mission in western Nevada, and he was declared dead on the discovery of the wreckage.

 31 

David Angell

(Producer)

Birthdate: April 10, 1946

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: West Barrington, Rhode Island, USA

Died: September 11, 2001

 32 

Junaid Jamshed

(Recording artist)

Birthdate: September 3, 1964

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan

Died: December 7, 2016

Height: 6'1" (185 cm)

Birthdate: June 22, 1909

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.

Died: March 22, 1958

Height: 5'5" (165 cm)

 34 

Ilan Ramon

(Fighter pilot)

Birthdate: June 20, 1954

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Ramat Gan, Israel

Died: February 1, 2003

 35 

Ginette Neveu

(Violinist)

Birthdate: August 11, 1919

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Paris, France

Died: October 28, 1949

 36 

Jesse Robredo

(Filipino Politician)

Birthdate: May 27, 1958

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Naga

Died: August 18, 2012

Jesse Robredo was a Filipino politician best remembered for his service as the Secretary of the Interior and Local Government from 2010 until his death in 2012. He is also remembered for his service as the Mayor of Naga on two occasions. In 2000, Jesse Robredo became the first Filipino mayor to receive the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Government Service.

 37 

Alan Kulwicki

(American Auto Racing Driver and Team Owner)

Birthdate: December 14, 1954

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Greenfield, Wisconsin, United States

Died: April 1, 1993

 38 

Wiley Post

(Native American Aviator Who Completed the First Solo Flight around the World)

Birthdate: November 22, 1898

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Grand Saline, Texas, United States

Died: August 15, 1935

Native American aviator Wiley Post scripted history as the first person to complete a solo flight around the world. Post and actor/humorist Will Rogers were killed when their flight crashed in Alaska in 1935. Post had created many high-altitude records and invented one of the world’s first pressure suits.

Birthdate: June 23, 1945

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Twic East County

Died: July 30, 2005

Revolutionary leader and president of Southern Sudan John Garang was the man behind the term "Sudanism," which promoted cohesiveness among the people of Sudan. Orphaned at 10, he completed his education on scholarships but later rejected an offer from UCB to go to Tanzania. He died in a helicopter crash.

 40 

Lance Reventlow

(American Entrepreneur, Racing Driver and Heir to the Woolworth Fortune)

Birthdate: February 24, 1936

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: London, England

Died: July 24, 1972

Birthdate: February 13, 1929

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Santiago, Panama

Died: July 31, 1981

Omar Torrijos was a Panamanian political leader who served as the de facto leader of Panama from 1968 to 1981. Although he was never officially elected as the president of Panama, Torrijos held titles, such as Maximum Leader of the Panamanian Revolution. One of the most influential Panamanian personalities during his generation, Omar Torrijos introduced many social reforms in Panama.

Birthdate: October 8, 1946

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Newport, Arkansas, United States

Died: June 27, 2005

 43 

Albert Scott Crossfield

(Naval officer)

Birthdate: October 2, 1921

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Berkeley, California, United States

Died: April 19, 2006

Height: 5'10" (178 cm)

Birthdate: September 11, 1927

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Gloversville, New York, United States

Died: June 19, 1996

Born to hotel tycoon Junius Myer Schine, G. David Schine was educated at Harvard. He was dragged into a controversy for his association with anti-communist Sen. Joe McCarthy. A plane crash killed both him and his wife, former Miss Universe Hillevi Rombin, and their son who was piloting the plane.

 45 

Ron Brown

(Politician)

Birthdate: August 1, 1941

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Washington, D.C., United States

Died: April 3, 1996

 46 

George Skakel

(Businessperson)

Birthdate: July 16, 1892

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States

Died: October 3, 1955

 47 

Bertram Home Ramsay

(Navy officer)

Birthdate: January 20, 1883

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Hampton Court or London, England

Died: January 2, 1945

 48 

Rodney Culver

(American Football Player)

Birthdate: December 23, 1969

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Detroit, Michigan, United States

Died: May 11, 1996

Height: 5'9" (175 cm)

 49 

Frank Maxwell Andrews

(Military General)

Birthdate: February 3, 1884

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Nashville, Tennessee, United States

Died: May 3, 1943

 50 

Hobey Baker

(First American Star in Ice Hockey by the Hockey Hall of Fame)

Birthdate: January 15, 1892

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, United States

Died: December 21, 1918

Height: 5'9" (175 cm)