Death by plane crash
The former Alaska senator was on a fishing trip when his plane crashed near Dillingham, Alaska. Four others also died. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
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A number of celebrities have perished in plane crashes over the years. Discover which stars spent their last moments in the air.
The former president of Poland perished with 95 others in Smolensk, Russia. The passengers were en route to the 70th anniversary memorial of the Katyn Masscre, during which Soviet secret police killed more than 20,000 Poles. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images)
The aircraft of the former New York Yankees pitcher flew from New Jersey and struck the 20th floor of a 50-story residential building in Manhattan. His flight instructor also died. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
The president of Macedonia’s flight to a conference crashed into mountains in Bosnia-Herzegovina, killing him as well as the eight other passengers. (Photo by Richard Drew-Pool/Getty Images)
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As the shuttle approached Kennedy Space Center in Florida to land, it disintegrated over north central Texas, killing all seven astronauts. (Photo by NASA/Getty Images)
His aircraft attempted to land but crashed in Eveleth, Minn. The former Minnesota senator, his wife and his daughter died along with five others. (Photo by Joyce Naltchayan/AFP/Getty Images)
This former attorney and TV commentator spent her last moments on board the plane terrorists flew into the Pentagon. (Photo by Richard Ellis/Getty Images)
Aboard one of the flights terrorists hijacked that day, the creator and executive producer of “Frasier” perished after the plane smashed into the World Trade Center’s north tower. (Photo by Paramount/Getty Images)
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This singer and actress’ flight crashed on a runway in Bermuda before takeoff, bursting into flames and killing all nine passengers. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Flying from Indianapolis to Blountville, Tenn., the CART Indycar racing team owner and his wife died along with the plane’s two other passengers. (Photo by Robert Laberge/Allsport)
All six passengers, including the winner of the 1999 U.S. Open, died aboard a flight from Orlando to Dallas that crashed following a loss of cabin pressure. (Photo by Stephen Jaffe/AFP/Getty Images)
The son of former President Kennedy died near Martha’s Vineyard in the Atlantic Ocean after he lost control of his aircraft. His wife and sister-in-law also perished. (Photo by Stephen Jaffe/AFP/Getty Images)
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When the engine on his plane failed, this singer died after his aircraft dove into Monterey Bay. No one accompanied him on his flight. (Photo by Paul Natkin/WireImage)
The former San Diego Chargers running back was en route to Atlanta when his plane caught fire from illegally transported oxygen generators without safety caps. Culver, his wife and the other 108 passengers perished. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Allsport)
University of Nebraska’s former quarterback crashed his plane into an alfalfa field in Raymond, Neb., killing his girlfriend’s brother and himself. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Allsport)
The 18 members of the team and 12 others died on a flight taking them to Senegal for the 1994 U.S. World Cup Qualifiers. (Photo by Simon Bruty/Allsport)
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The plane of the former Pakistani president took off and shortly afterward dove into the Bahawalpur Desert. The leader and 29 others died, including the U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan. Numerous conspiracy theories developed following the crash. (Photo by Central Press/Getty Images)
All seven crew members perished in an explosion, which occurred a minute after the shuttle lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Fla. (Photo by NASA/Getty Images)
He was en route to his next show in Dallas from Guntersville, Ala., when smoke filled the cockpit and his aircraft collided with a tree in DeKalb, Texas. The singer, his fiance and five band members died. (Photo by Ron Wolfson/WireImage)
After its wing hit the band’s tour bus, the plane carrying the lead guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne crashed into a house. All three aboard died. (Photo by Paul Natkin/WireImage)
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The former New York Yankees catcher spent his last minutes practicing takeoffs and landings. Although he perished, the two other passengers in the aircraft survived. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
Six passengers out of 26, including Lynyrd Skynyrd’s lead singer and two other band members, died flying from Greenville, S.C., to Baton Rouge, La. The band was traveling to their next concert. (Photo by Bobby Bank/WireImage)
The singer, four of his band members and the plane’s pilot perished en route to Redding’s shows in Madison, Wis. One band member survived. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
The three astronauts participating in a simulated launch of Apollo I in Cape Canaveral, Fla., perished when a short circuit caused a fire in the spacecraft. (Photo by Central Press/Getty Images)
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The country western singer’s flight from Batesville, Ark., to Nashville ended in the woods near Brentwood, Tenn. His manager also died. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)
His decision to fly into adverse weather cost the Chicago Cubs player his life. His aircraft crashed into Utah Lake and killed one other passenger as well. (Photo by Louis Requena/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Stormy weather caused the crash of this country western singer’s flight from Kansas City, Kan., to Nashville. Three others, including Cline’s manager, also died. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
The three musicians were heading from Clear Lake, Iowa, to Fargo, N.D., on the way to the next performance of their tour. The pilot also died. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
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Crash landing onto Beverly Boulevard in Los Angeles, the singer’s flight threw him from the plane. Clark was the single fatality in the accident. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Her plane from Copenhagen, Denmark to Stockholm crashed shortly after takeoff, killing the singer and 21 other passengers. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
The eldest brother of John F. Kennedy Jr. spent his final moments serving his country in World War II. German fighter pilots shot down his plane and also killed the other soldier aboard. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)
The life of this British actor and 16 others ended during World War II when German fire struck their plane over the Bay of Biscay. (Photo by Sasha/Getty Images)
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The flight transporting the movie star, her mother and her press agent back to Los Angeles from a war bond promotion in Indiana smashed into a mountain in Nevada. The other 19 passengers in the plane also died. (Photo by John Kobal Foundation/Getty Images)
Attempting to fly around the world, the first female aviator to cross the Atlantic Ocean disappeared when passing over the Pacific Ocean. Her navigator also perished. (Photo by AFP/Getty Images)
The football player and former coach of Notre Dame died when his aircraft from Kansas City, Kan. to California dove into a farm field near Bazaar, Kan. The other seven passengers also perished. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)