Actors Who Tragically Died In Plane Crashes
Acting can be a tough business to break into, and an even tougher one to stay in. Playing pretend for a living has its benefits, though, such as being immortalized in film and television projects that can live beyond their initial release. Of course, when an actor passes away suddenly and unexpectedly, this can profoundly alter the experience of watching their old performances. It can feel strange to watch recently deceased celebrities appearing alive and well on the screen.
While car accidents are far more common than airplane crashes, those too affect the lives of normal people, including actors. Over the years, there have been several actors from the Golden Age of Hollywood to the present who have suddenly and tragically died as a result of airplane failure, and the list sadly continues to grow. These are some of the most notable stars who died as a result of a plane crash (and a few helicopter crashes, too).
Aaliyah
Aaliyah didn't start out as a movie star, but she was well on her way. The "Princess of R&B" released her debut hip-hop album "Age Ain't Nothing but a Number" in 1994 when she was just 15, and it was an instant hit. But Aaliyah's career was briefly derailed by R. Kelly, who married her with the assistance of documents that incorrectly claimed she was 18. Their marriage was annulled and the singer parted ways with Kelly (and his record label), moving instead to Atlantic Records where she released her second album. But by the 21st century, Aaliyah had split her time and energy between music and acting, starring opposite Jet Li in the 2000 action flick "Romeo Must Die."
Unfortunately, this would be her only starring role that she got to see in her lifetime. On August 25, 2001, Aaliyah was killed in a plane crash in the Bahamas shortly after a shoot. The singer-actress had just released her third self-titled album two months prior, and had completed filming her scenes for the infamous "Interview with the Vampire" sequel, "Queen of the Damned." She was also slated to appear opposite Keanu Reeves in the original "Matrix" sequels. The following year, "Queen of the Damned" was released posthumously and dedicated to her memory.
Audie Murphy
It's not every day that an actor can claim to be a legitimate hero, but as one of the most decorated soldiers who fought during the Second World War, Audie Murphy certainly fits the bill. Murphy even received a Medal of Honor before leaving his combat experience behind to join the movie business. The soldier-turned-actor had an impressive career that spanned two decades, starring in pictures like "The Kid from Texas," "The Red Badge of Courage," and the short-lived television series "Whispering Smith." Though, perhaps Murphy's most notable role was playing himself in the autobiographical 1955 war picture "To Hell and Back."
On May 28, 1971, Murphy and five other people were killed in a plane crash somewhere outside of Roanoke, Virginia. While the exact location of the crash has been debated, the plane was a victim of the elements, which eventually caused them to crash into the side of the mountain. Murphy was survived by his wife of 20 years and their two children.
Berry Berenson
Berry Berenson is a notable woman for a few different reasons. An accomplished photographer and model and the widow of "Psycho" actor Anthony Perkins, Berenson has four acting credits to her name. She appeared in the 1978 thriller "Remember My Name" alongside her future husband, the comedy-drama "Winter Kills" opposite Perkins and Jeff Bridges, and even showed up in the 1982 horror "Cat People." Additionally, Berenson played a receptionist on an episode of the 1980 miniseries "Scruples." After the '80s, Berenson opted to focus on her family and took care of Perkins in the remaining years of his life following an HIV diagnosis.
On September 11, 2001, Berenson was a passenger on American Airlines Flight 11, which crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center that morning after being hijacked by al-Qaeda terrorists. Berenson had been in Cape Cod and was returning to Los Angeles when the airliner was attacked and taken over, and sadly never made it home. The actress was survived by her two adult sons.
Joe Lara
Joe Lara had an interesting career in the film industry that never quite took off. Known best for his work as Tarzan in the made-for-TV movie "Tarzan in Manhattan" and the follow-up (and very short-lived) television series "Tarzan: The Epic Adventures," Lara couldn't get past the King of the Jungle. For years, Lara starred in B-movies like "Steel Frontier," "American Cyborg: Steel Warrior," and "Operation Delta Force," all while appearing on shows like "Conan the Adventurer," "Baywatch," and "The Magnificent Seven." By the early 2000s, Lara left acting behind entirely to pursue a career as a musician, releasing his debut album "Joe Lara: The Cry of Freedom" in 2009.
In 2018, the same year he returned briefly to the screen for "Summer of '67," Lara married faith-based author and diet guru Gwen Shamblin (yes, the same one who is the subject of "The Way Down" documentary), and the two were married until their unforeseen deaths in 2021. On May 29, 2021, Lara, his wife, and six others died in a plane crash just outside of Nashville. He was survived by his daughter from a previous relationship.
Pedro Infante
Pedro Infante was perhaps better known as a musician rather than an actor, but he did a bit of both. A Mexican icon, Infante was known for his performance in the 1957 film "Tizoc," which won him best actor at the Berlin International Film Festival and a nomination at the Ariel Awards in Mexico. With his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Infante represents the Golden Age of Mexican cinema and has over 60 other acting credits in a career that spanned only about two decades.
But Infante also loved airplanes and specifically loved to fly them. A pilot himself, Infante logged over 2,000 hours of flight time and even survived two different plane crashes. Unfortunately, there was a third, and this one was fatal. On April 15, 1965, Infante was killed in a crash while on his way to Mexico City, which also killed a 19-year-old girl on the ground. Nevertheless, there have been plenty of conspiracy theories about Infante's survival ever since, and even family members have claimed that the Mexican icon lived until 2013.
Christian Oliver
Since the mid-1990s, German actor Christian Oliver fought to get into American movies. Possibly known best for his work in the long-running German series "Alarm für Cobra 11 – Die Autobahnpolizei," also known as "Cobra 11," Oliver also appeared in the 2008 live-action adaptation of "Speed Racer" as Snake Oiler. From there, Oliver made himself known in Bryan Singer's "Valkyrie," Paul W.S. Anderson's "The Three Musketeers," and the Watchowski-produced series "Sense8." Other notable appearances included NBC's "Timeless," Amazon Prime's "Hunters," and a brief voice role in "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny."
In addition to acting, Oliver was also a producer and brought horror films like "Animal Among Us," "House of Good and Evil," and "Wrong Turn" to life. But on January 4, 2024, Oliver's career was cut short when he, his two daughters, and their pilot were killed in a plane crash in the Caribbean Sea. "Hug your loved ones, tell them you love them, be kind to each other," Oliver's ex-wife Jessica Klepser wrote in a statement following the crash (via People). "And stop arguing and worrying about the small stuff. It's not worth it. Life is too precious and we are all in this together."
Dean Paul Martin
The son of the legendary Dean Martin, Dean "Dino" Paul Martin followed in his father's footsteps as an actor, singer, and all-around entertainer. Appearing in films like "Players," "Heart Like a Wheel," and "Backfire," Martin was most recognized for his role on the short-lived television series "Misfits of Science," where he played Dr. Billy Hayes for all 16 episodes. As a singer, Martin had a few Billboard hits, but eventually left the entertainment business behind to join the California Air National Guard. Having been flying since he was a teenager, Martin joined up in 1980 and eventually rose to the rank of captain before his death.
On March 21, 1987, Martin was killed when his plane crashed into San Gorgonio Mountain during an intense snowstorm. Despite being an expert pilot, Martin and his weapons officer Capt. Ramon Ortiz died instantly during a training exercise after first disappearing from the radar for about 10 minutes. "The high I get seeing the sun come up is so great that if I die, it would have been worth it," Martin once said about his love of flying, which feels strangely poetic despite the unmistakable tragedy (via People).
Carole Lombard
Named one of the greatest female stars of all time by the American Film Institute, Carole Lombard first made a splash on the screen at only 12 years old in the 1921 film "A Perfect Crime." From there, Lombard continued to wow audiences everywhere with her dazzling features and wild expressions in screwball comedies like "Hands Across the Table," "My Man Godfrey," and "Love Before Breakfast." The actress also played around with dramas, Westerns, and even horror during her time. In over 20 years, Lombard appeared in nearly 80 pictures and made a name for herself as a star.
But on January 16, 1942, Lombard was killed in a plane crash while traveling back to Los Angeles from Las Vegas. A group of volunteers — including the actress' husband, Clark Gable – searched Table Rock Mountain for Lombard and the 21 other passengers (including her mother), but it was no use. The wreck had been fatal, and Lombard was buried at Forest Lawn cemetery in Glendale, California. While Gable would remarry twice more in his lifetime, upon his own death two decades later, he was buried next to his wife of only three years.
Vic Morrow
Vic Morrow was an actor who, despite having been in the business for nearly a decade, earned his stripes in 1962 when he appeared in the leading role of Sgt. Chip Saunders in the ABC war drama "Combat!" For 152 episodes, Morrow played Sgt. Saunders, but he wasn't about to let himself be limited to television drama. The actor went on to appear in "The Bad News Bears" in addition to plenty of television movies and guest stints on classic TV shows. During that time, he also worked as a screenwriter and director, helming 11 episodes of television and two feature films in his time.
But Morrow's most infamous role is undoubtedly as Bill Connor in the "Time Out" segment of "The Twilight Zone: The Movie," directed by John Landis. In Morrow's final role, the actor died on July 23, 1982, while on set alongside two child actors when filming a helicopter sequence at the Indian Dunes in California. Reportedly, Morrow always believed he'd die in a helicopter crash, and allegedly told a production assistant beforehand that "I've got to be crazy to do this shot. I should've asked for a double."
Ricky Nelson
As a child, Ricky Nelson starred in "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" alongside the rest of his talented family, but eventually, the actor went on to become a pop sensation, recording songs like "Poor Little Fool" and "Garden Party," to name only a few of his hits. Of course, Nelson wouldn't fully divorce himself from appearing on the screen and even appeared alongside John Wayne and Dean Martin in "Rio Bravo," opposite Jack Lemmon in "The Wackiest Ship in the Army," and was featured on plenty of other television shows in guest roles.
On New Year's Eve, 1985, Nelson and his six friends, including his fiancée Helen Blair and members of his backup band, The Stone Canyon Band, were killed in a plane crash when their Douglas DC-3 attempted an emergency landing. While both pilots survived the crash, all seven passengers were killed before they could make it to Dallas, Texas, where Nelson was to perform a New Year's Eve concert. He was survived by his children and his ex-wife, Kris Harmon.
Rocky Marciano
A professional boxer and heavyweight champion, Rocky Marciano had an impressive fighting career that is no doubt what launched him into stardom, but did you know he was also a Hollywood actor? In the long-running tradition of fighters-turned-actors, Marciano took to the screen in 1957 playing an uncredited version of himself in "The Delicate Delinquent." From there, he played a character on an episode of "Captain David Grief," a deputy sheriff in "College Confidential," and a soldier on "Combat!"
While his acting career wasn't much to write home about, it might have developed into something more if not for his unfortunate death. On August 31, 1969, Marciano was killed after his single-engine Cessna 172 airplane went down suddenly after a power failure, resulting in his death as well as two others (including the pilot). Tragically, Marciano would've been 46 years old the following day. In the years following, multiple biographical movies were made about the star, including the 1999 picture "Rocky Marciano" starring Jon Favreau as the titular boxer.
Frederick Stafford
Frederick Stafford was an impressive man for a plethora of reasons beyond his acting ability: He earned a doctorate from the University of Sydney and could speak five languages fluently. But Stafford (who was born Friedrich Strobel von Stein) changed careers in the mid-1960s to become an actor and he didn't look back. Known best for his work in a host of European-made spy pictures, Stafford starred in "Agent 505 – Todesfalle Beirut," "OSS 117: Mission for a Killer," and Alfred Hitchcock's "Topaz," where he played the leading role of Andre Devereaux. "Topaz" would go on to become Stafford's most notable work.
A few years after his final film appearance in "Fear Runs Deep," Stafford was killed on July 28, 1979, at 51 years old in a plane crash in Switzerland. Unlike many of the aforementioned deaths, Stafford's plane crash involved a midair collision between two planes. He was survived by his wife and fellow actress Marianne Hold and their only son.
Bill Graham
Not to be confused with the famous televangelist Billy Graham, Wulf Wolodia Grajonca, aka Wolfgang Grajonca, aka Bill Graham was an impresario and concert promoter who escaped Nazi Germany to come to the United States and make a living in the entertainment business. In his day, Graham worked with The Rolling Stones, Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, the Grateful Dead, U2, Janis Joplin, and a host of others whose careers he boosted along the way.
But Graham also had acting aspirations. Appearing in movies like "Apocalypse Now," "Bugsy," and "Gardens of Stone," as well as a fictionalized version of himself in 1976's "A Star is Born," "The Return of Bruno," and "The Doors," Graham certainly got around. Unfortunately, his acting career didn't last very long. While returning from a Huey Lewis and the News concert on October 25, 1991, Graham was killed in a helicopter crash that also took the lives of two others, including his girlfriend Marissa Gold. The elements were the cause of this disaster, as the rain and wind caused the vehicle to crash into a utility tower just northeast of San Francisco.
Will Rogers and Wiley Post
Will Rogers and Wiley Post were both Oklahomans who were proud of it. Rogers and Post — the former an entertainer and comedic commentator, the latter a known aviator and one-time actor — had been friends for a long time. After Rogers asked his pilot friend to fly him up to Alaska in search of new material to cover, it turned out to be their final adventure, together or otherwise. On August 15, 1935, smack in the middle of the Great Depression, Rogers and Post took flight, hopping from Fairbanks to Point Barrow, only for engine failure to bring them right back down. Both men died instantly and were nearly unrecognizable upon being discovered.
Before the crash, Rogers had been known for films like "Steamboat Round the Bend," "Judge Priest," and "A Connecticut Yankee," alongside about 50 other motion pictures; Post, considered one of the world's greatest aviators, only played himself in the film "Air Hawks."