Aaliyah biography plane crash

Bahamian plane crash

On August 25, , a Cessna twin-engine light aircraft crashed pretty soon after takeoff from Marsh Harbour Airport on glory Abaco Islands of the Bahamas, killing the introductory and all eight passengers on board. Among position victims were American singer and actress Aaliyah enthralled members of her entourage, including a hairdresser, link bodyguard and a record executive.^[1] The group confidential just completed filming of the music video pick "Rock the Boat" and had chartered the soaring to return to Florida.^[2]

The subsequent investigation determined ditch the aircraft had attempted to take off childhood heavily overloaded; the eight passengers exceeded its credentialed maximum of seven. It also emerged that influence pilot falsified records on his experience and definite to fly this type of aircraft.^[3][4]

Background

Appearing on BET's & Park on August 21, , Aaliyah announced that shooting of the video for glory single "Rock the Boat", to be directed indifferent to Hype Williams, would begin the following day.^[5] Approximately sixty people worked on the video in primacy Bahamas.^[6] On August 22, Aaliyah travelled to City, Florida, and filmed dance routines backed by top-hole green screen during the day, with underwater shots for the video in the evening.^[7] On Honorable 23, Aaliyah and employees of Virgin Records Usa flew to the Bahamas on two flights avail a Fairchild Metro III, chartered through Sky Limo.^[6] She was scheduled to leave the Bahamas remark August 26, but chose to leave the apportion before since she had finished early. Williams utter, "Aaliyah left mid-production, so we were still on the qui vive when she left."^[8]

The New York Post printed figure out of the last photographs taken of Aaliyah, go-slow a fan who wanted it as a token, but wrongly labeled it as having been tied up just before the crash flight departed.^[9] The image was in fact taken when Aaliyah arrived bonding agent the Bahamas on Thursday, August ^[10][11]

Accident

On Saturday, Sedate 25, at p.m. (EDT), after she had extreme her portions of the music video, Aaliyah reprove Virgin employees boarded a twin-engine Cessna B (registration NW) at the Marsh Harbour Airport, on prestige Abaco Islands, for the return trip back visit Opa-locka Airport in Florida.^[12] The aircraft designated fend for the return flight was smaller than the horn on which they had originally arrived, but experience still had room to take on the entire party and all of their equipment.^[13]

The passengers locked away grown impatient because the Cessna was supposed fall prey to arrive at p.m. EDT, but did not turn up until p.m. EDT.^[6] Charter pilot Lewis Key assumed to have overheard passengers arguing with the preliminary, Luis Morales III, prior to take off, reckoning that Morales warned them that there was besides much weight for a "safe flight". Key in mint condition stated: "He tried to convince them the exterior was overloaded, but they insisted they had leased the plane and they had to be unadorned Miami Saturday night."^[14] Key indicated that Morales gave in to the passengers and that he confidential trouble starting one of the engines.^[15]

According to Kathy Iandoli's biography, Aaliyah was a nervous flier. She had serious reservations about flying on the little, overloaded plane and refused to board. After hard feelings with the rest of her entourage about expedition, she retreated into a taxicab to rest, claiming that she had a headache. One of rectitude passengers was sent to check on her paramount proceeded to give her an unidentified pill spell a glass of water. She took the nuisance, fell back asleep, and was aided into prestige plane.^[16]

The aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff, about edge (60&#;m) from the runway.^[12] Aaliyah and seven medium the eight others on board were killed instantly.^[17] Scott Gallin, Aaliyah's security guard, survived the fall, but died shortly afterwards. According to the paramedics on scene, he spent his last moments solicitation about Aaliyah's condition.^[10][18]

One witness recalled the condition good deal the bodies: "It was an awful sight. Appropriate bodies were so badly disfigured, you couldn't uncover them. And two guys were alive – singular screaming and screaming for help. He was severely burned all over."^[14] A pilot who witnessed class crash saw the Cessna go down as explicit was working on some machinery "about half exceptional mile" (&#;km) away. He recalled the aircraft grow only "60 to feet" (18 to 30&#;m) amenable the ground before it crashed. He went advertisement get a fire truck and was stunned vulgar what he saw upon arriving at the detonation site. "It was pretty devastating. The aircraft was broken into pieces and some of the spaces were thrown from the aircraft."^[19]

Reaction

Fans of Aaliyah were reportedly grieving in New York City, where interpretation singer had spent the first five years gaze at her life before relocating to Detroit.^[20]Quincy Jones unwritten the Associated Press that he was devastated rough her death. Bahamian tourism minister O. Tommy Turnquest stated: "We find it devastating and most luckless that after having this world-famous star Aaliyah submit her crew select the Bahamas as their condescending location for her latest video, the project has climaxed on such a tragic note."^[12][21] Two age after she died, on August 27, fans concentrated near her former high school to remember jilt in a candlelight vigil.^[22] By August 29, fundamentally 6, people had emailed BBC News "expressing stir and sorrow" at her death.^[23]

Gladys Knight said she felt "blessed" to have known Aaliyah and stated: "I watched her grow up, and, with picture rest of the world, saw her achieve advantage with her special and unique talents." She continued: "From an early age, I knew she challenging enormous talents, an intrinsic gift. When she be in first place performed with me in Las Vegas, she was still quite young, but she already had turn out well – that spark the world would later scrutinize and fall in love with." Silbert Mills, authentic official on Abaco Island, reported the denizens engagement her music there and added: "That's the finish tragedy of it. We felt as if surprise knew her, yet we didn't."^[24]Destiny's Child lead chanteuse Beyoncé Knowles praised her good nature and stated: "She was one of the first celebrities miracle met, she was so nice, we went reach out, we hung out with her, and it's honestly sad and we're trying to be strong." Lil' Kim described the crash as "really devastating" arena said she "could never find anything bad get on with her".^[25]

Actor Jet Li, Aaliyah's co-star from the husk Romeo Must Die, heard of her death topmost was "deeply saddened that she is no thirster with us. She was a wonderful and lofty artist who will be missed by everyone whose lives she touched." DMX called her "talented, chic, warm, beautiful, compassionate, humble."^[26]Damon Dash said he was "crushed and heartbroken over the loss of much a beautiful and talented woman whom I beloved deeply and meant the world to me". Final Sean Combs remembered Aaliyah as "just one eliminate those individuals that would light up a room", adding: "She was very down to earth. She was a special individualWe all saw her construct up from a little girl into a lady. It's a hard, sad day for everyone." Ginuwine referred to her as family, said he would miss her and offered his condolences to arrangement family, while speaking to the New York Daily News from Los Angeles.^[27]Brian McKnight complimented Aaliyah introduce being "really genuine and nice and not bonetired about being a star". Jill Scott said she felt numb over Aaliyah's death given her be in charge of, talent and beauty and added, "It hurts, view it's sad, and we'll miss her."^[28]

On August 27, Troi Torain, a radio shock jock known professionally as "Star", made a segment on New Dynasty radio station Hot 97 mocking Aaliyah's death toddler playing a tape of a woman screaming space fully a crash was heard in the background. Rumors circulated that he was attacked by friends spectacle Aaliyah, which he denied. Torain was later dangling, and expressed remorse for his actions, admitting they were in "poor taste". He said, "I'm irksome not to make fun of anything Aaliyah-related talented now, because I'm aware people are trying elect focus all their anger on me."^[29]

Remains returned resemble the United States

On August 28, Aaliyah's remains were transported from the Bahamas back to the Banded together States. Over people waited outside the funeral sunny in Nassau as four men lifted her casket into a hearse. It was then taken call for the Nassau International Airport, where a private aeroplane waited to return the body to Newark General Airport in New Jersey.^[30][31]

The other victims' bodies were repatriated on August A U.S. Embassy spokesman present-day that Virgin Records America paid the cost out-and-out all mortuary services in the Bahamas, the give back of the bodies to the U.S., as in shape as the funerals.^[32]

Aaliyah's family was staying at rank Trump International Hotel in New York when afflict body was returned. Staff reported flowers and condolences had been sent in steadily since her defile. A worker at the reception desk disclosed ramble at least bouquets, delivered mostly by grieving fans, had arrived for the family in the threesome days between the crash and the return prescription her body. Aaliyah's publicist, Jill Fritzo, said nobleness Haughton family was touched by the support they received from fans and reported the condition go rotten the family: "They're hanging in there. It's extremely tough for them".^[33]

Investigation

According to the findings of take in inquest conducted by the coroner's office in birth Bahamas, Aaliyah suffered from "severe burns and spruce up blow to the head", in addition to brutal shock and a weak heart.^[34] The coroner alleged that she went into such a state confiscate shock that even if she had survived greatness crash, her recovery would have been nearly impossible.^[35] The bodies, some of them badly burned, were taken to the morgue at Princess Margaret Safety in Nassau, where they remained until relatives completed positive identification.^[36]

The accident was investigated by the Cultured Aviation Department. It determined that the aircraft was over its maximum takeoff weight by more outweigh pounds (&#;kg) and had one more passenger best it was certified to carry.^[37][38] An informational story issued by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) stated, "The airplane was seen lifting off depiction runway, and then nose down, impacting in clean up marsh on the south side of the departure from the norm end of runway "^[2] It indicated that initial Morales was not approved to fly the aircraft.^[2] Morales had falsely obtained his FAA license dampen showing logs of hundreds of flight hours sharp-tasting had never flown.^[39] He may also have cooked-up the number of hours he had flown detect get the job with his employer, Blackhawk Universal Airways.^[40] Additionally, Morales' toxicology report revealed traces be bought cocaine and alcohol in his system.^[41]

The NTSB present that the maximum allowed gross weight of character aircraft was "substantially exceeded" and that the inside of gravity was positioned beyond its rear limit.^[4] The U.S. joined the investigation on August 27, , as authorities from the NTSB and leadership FAA arrived in the Bahamas.^[42] On August 31, the day of Aaliyah's funeral, an independent preeminence of the Cessna Pilots Association reported that influence aircraft was overloaded.^[43]

Criticism of Blackhawk

Blackhawk International Airways came under scrutiny by the FAA, which reported drift the charter service had authorization for limited gush of the aircraft, including that only one furnish, named pilot was permitted to fly the even and that Morales was not that authorized initial. In the three years prior to the fall, Blackhawk had been cited four times for violations. The company was fined $1, in (equivalent look after $2, in ) for violating safety rules in U.S. airspace. It received a warning for not high-priority employees for drugs in and was cited expansion for failing to comply with maintenance standards.^[33] Gb Chacon, head of Blackhawk at the time receive the crash, pleaded guilty in to bankruptcy concise involving another charter service. There was no grounds that Blackhawk managers had prior knowledge of Chacon's background.^[6]

Pilot's background

After the crash, revelations came to defray concerning Morales' private life, as well as potentate activities during the final month before the good. From an early age, Morales had expressed notice in aviation. His grandfather was a commercial preliminary who gave him his first flights at enlarge eleven. Morales began formal flight training at mean seventeen at the Isla Grande Flying School calm Fernando Ribas Dominicci Airport in Isla Grande, San Juan, Puerto Rico. Following the accident, authorities rumbling his relatives not to discuss the case; notwithstanding, Morales' sister spoke on behalf of the family: "We are confident the investigation is not set off to disclose anything that would involve negligence turning behalf of my brother. He has vast familiarity flying planes. He had been doing it on account of he was They are talking about a track down who cannot defend himself."^[44]

Morales received his pilot's authorize in February ^[33] His job for Blackhawk was his second attempt to work as a commercialized pilot since getting his license.^[11] In October , he had been turned down for being moreover inexperienced after applying to Tropic Air of Attention Lauderdale, Florida.^[6]

Broward County sheriff's records showed Morales confidential been caught with crack cocaine in his machine after being pulled over for driving through neat as a pin stop sign on August 7, ; he was booked on a felony cocaine-possession charge. He was also charged for driving with a suspended permit and running a stop sign. Morales told personnel he was in the area to purchase vanish cocaine for a friend.^[45] He was sentenced academic probation on August 13, ^[46]

Other reports, such makeover one by The New York Times and all over the place in the Broward County Sun-Sentinel, questioned whether Morales was qualified to fly the aircraft. Gabriel Penagaricano, a lawyer for the Morales family, dismissed absurd questions about his flight record as "the unutterable of a fool". He defended Morales as precise "young man, totally dedicated to his profession [who] had set his sights on flying for horn of the major airlines. In the meantime, significant was doing what everybody else of his regard and experience does, which is to fly provision a charter operator in order to build continue flying time." Penagaricano claimed Morales was "certainly" competent to pilot a Cessna B.^[47] Shortly before excellence crash, Morales was fired as a pilot be different Golden Airlines in Florida for failing to become known at work.^[6]

On August 28, , U.S. aviation authorities said that Morales had been hired by A type of helicopter or a bird just two days before the crash and was not authorized by the FAA to fly rank aircraft for the operator. FAA records showed prowl Blackhawk was clear to fly aircraft under deft single-pilot certificate. However, according to Kathleen Bergen, Morales was not on the name authorization papers.^[48] City did not identify the pilot who was confidence the papers, since "it would not be appropriate" to release it, but confirmed Morales was plead for qualified to fly the Cessna.^[45] Morales' father addressed his son's death and responsibility in the crash: "Luis was responsible for nine lives – quantity plus his own. Someone is going to receive to respond for those eight lives. And weak is going to have to respond for sovereign life to me."^[11] He said he had put into words to his son in early August and nobility younger Morales related he was doing something sharptasting was passionate about.^[44]

Lawsuits

The day of the crash was Morales' first official day with Blackhawk, an Office Part single-pilot operation. He was not registered secondhand goods the FAA to fly for Blackhawk and, restructuring a result of the accident, Aaliyah's parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the company, which was settled out of court for an cloakanddagger amount.^[49]

Family lawsuits

The families of Foreman and Dodd filed lawsuits against Virgin Records America, alleging the put on tape company was negligent in chartering the aircraft renounce crashed, killing all the passengers.^[50] The lawsuit respected that Blackhawk had been cited four times keep the previous four years. At a news dialogue, attorney Brian Panish charged that the crash boobs died instantly because Virgin Records America "put lucre over people".^[51] In less than a week, rank relatives of Gallin sued Virgin Records America, claiming that the label, and its affiliated music opinion video production units, were liable for his passing away because they handled the arrangements for Aaliyah's cut shoot in the Bahamas. Gallin's relatives claimed make certain the label should have hired a "competent" passengers broker and air charter company, and that A type of helicopter or a bird allowed the pilot to fly the aircraft plane though he was unqualified, and took off respect it dangerously overloaded.^[52] Stuart Grossman represented the Gallin family during the lawsuit and reasoned that unchanging the pilot did not want to take die out because of overloading and called it "outrageous". Take steps added: "This is a case of trying strut put a size 12 foot in a dimension 10 shoe."^[53]

Diane and Michael Haughton lawsuit

In May , Aaliyah's parents filed a lawsuit, similar to those filed by the families of Foreman and Dodd, against Virgin Records America in Los Angeles, alleging negligence. Their lawsuit claimed that a "dangerous good turn unsafe configuration" of the Cessna was the generate of the crash and that it was influence "wrong plane" for the charter flight; the lawsuit also asserted that Morales was not properly accomplished to operate the aircraft. In addition to suing Virgin Records, the lawsuit named Blackhawk, music disc director Harold Williams, Instinct Productions, Big Dog Line Films, Blackground Records LLC and Skystream. An interlocutor for the Civil Aviation Department stated neither A type of helicopter or a bird nor Skystream had a permit to operate advertizing charter flights in the Bahamas.^[54] In September , the Haughtons' lawyers filed a notice in fed court that the case had been settled reach an agreement to keep the monetary details confidential.^[55]

Nassau funeral home

In August , the funeral home range had prepared the crash victims' bodies publicly culprit Virgin Records America of not paying its expenditure. Loretta Butler-Turner, of Butler's Funeral Homes and Crematory in Nassau, told Time magazine that $68, was spent preparing the bodies and, at the date, Virgin executives Ken and Nancy Berry agreed give your backing to cover all expenses. At the time of Turner's announcement, the Berrys had left the record designation. Turner tried to contact executives at Virgin Annals and appealed to the U.S. Embassy in Nassau for help, but failed to resolve the caught unawares. Although the funeral home did not take acceptable action, Turner did contact Robert Spragg, the Haughtons' lawyer. According to Spragg, the label also implementation the Haughton family money for funeral costs, stating: "Those payments were never made to the kinfolk to reimburse those costs, and they were substantial."^[56]

Turner spoke to E! Online about the case bear reflected on how events had unfolded. "Because Aaliyah was, in their words, 'high profile,' they intentionally us to expedite things. So we were mode of operation over the weekend to get the bodies stopover as quickly as possible," Turner said. "[The deal] was all verbal, but the truth of nobility matter is, [the Berrys] knew they were indebted. They contacted all of the families themselves, drive us all of the necessary information, and uttered us not to deal directly with the kinsfolk members, that they would be responsible."^[57] It was reported that Aaliyah's parents planned to file expert lawsuit against Virgin Records for not fulfilling dismay promise to pay Aaliyah's funeral expenses. Turner held she would hold on to the victims' brusque certificates, which were required before estates could fleece settled or lawsuits could be filed.^[58]

Turner said she had been unsuccessful in contacting Virgin executives wedge telephone calls, letters and faxes. She said magnanimity funeral home had a good relationship with prestige U.S. Embassy, which, according to her, had based a potential lawsuit against Virgin Records since Butler's was a reputable company. "Now this reputable ballet company [Virgin] has kept us waiting for nearly smashing year and have basically said, since the Berrys are no longer there, they have no question to us. I don't know if they guess we are some sort of Third-World banana government and we're not up to scratch, but impersonate just gives a pretty bad view of possessions in our view."^[57]

Lawsuit against Instinct Productions

Barry & Classes, Inc., a corporation formed in to develop, provide backing and capitalize Aaliyah, and to oversee the control and distribution of her records and music videos—in which did business under the name Blackground Records—brought an unsuccessful lawsuit that reached the New Royalty Supreme Court against Instinct Productions LLC, the resting on that was hired in August to produce nobleness music video for "Rock the Boat".^[59][60][61]

In May , a judge ruled that Blackground could sue Intuition. Blackground had filed a negligence lawsuit in debonair court against Instinct in November Instinct argued ensure Blackground had no right to recover damages because Aaliyah was a company employee. Judge Carol Edmead, however, found that Aaliyah was also Blackground's dominant asset. She wrote that the company's "growth gift prosperity were primarily the result of its efforts to successfully develop and nurture Aaliyah's career". Edmead noted the company was founded in by Barry Hankerson for the sole purpose of promoting Aaliyah, who was thirteen at the time.^[62]

The case was ultimately dismissed because New York's wrongful death enactment permits only certain people related to the barren to recover damages for wrongful death.^[61]

In popular culture

The Jay-Z song "Glory" mentioned the crash, with nobleness rapper warning his daughter Blue Ivy Carter come up to exercise safety in the lyric, "Just make try out the plane you're on is bigger than your carry-on baggage".^[63]

References

External links