What was the cause of the tragic plane crash?

Aaliyah changed the sound of R&B music and was one of the most popular singers of the 90s.

Born Aaliyah Dana Haughton, the singer began her career at the age of 11, performing for five nights in Las Vegas with her aunt Gladys Knight. Aaliyah was only 14 when she released her first album. Age is nothing more than a number in 1994 — which won American Music Awards, Billboard Nominations at the Music Awards and Soul Train Awards for Best New Artist caused her popularity to skyrocket.

Aaliyah's second album, One in a millionwent double platinum after its release in 1996, and their third – and final – album, Aaliyah, fell in 2001 and reached second place on Billboard's Top 10 list. Unfortunately, two months after the debut of her self-titled album, Aaliyah's life ended tragically when she died in a plane crash in the Bahamas on August 25, 2001, after filming her music video “Rock the Boat.”

After Aaliyah’s death, her musical and personal legacy lived on: she posthumously received three Grammy nominations for Aaliyah and received recognition for her role in the vampire film Queen of the Damned.

In honor of the late singer's birthday in January 2024, a tribute was posted on Instagram to mark the day she would have celebrated her 45th birthday.

“You were more than just a daughter, sister, friend and role model, Aaliyah,” it said. “You were a revolution of sound, a beacon of style and an inspiration to millions. You showed us how to harness our power, embrace individuality and move through the world with fierce grace. … We miss you every day, but your light remains with us.”

On the occasion of the 23rd anniversary of the singer's death, we take a look at the events of Aaliyah's death and the legacy she left behind.

How did Aaliyah die?

Aaliyah died in a plane crash in the Bahamas when a small twin-engine Cessna 402B crashed shortly after takeoff.

On board the chartered plane were Aaliyah and eight other people, including the singer's hairdresser, her bodyguard, a record executive and the plane's pilot. The New York TimesThe plane's wings “shattered on impact” and the engine and landing gear were torn off, the newspaper reported. Aaliyah and five of the other passengers died instantly; three others succumbed to their injuries the next day.

According to CBS News, Aaliyah's official cause of death was “severe burns and a blow to the head,” according to the pathologist who performed the victims' autopsies at the inquest into the car crash in 2003.

The pathologist also testified that an autopsy of the pilot Luis Antonio Morales revealed that he had “cocaine in his urine and traces of alcohol in his stomach.” The pilot was also not licensed to fly the Cessna 402B and had been hired by the charter company a few days before the crash, according to The New York Times. Morales had also been sentenced to probation for cocaine possession two weeks earlier.

In addition, the newspaper reported that the days leading up to the flight were marked by confusion and errors, including overweight cargo for Aaliyah's music video being delivered to the wrong Bahamian island and several changes to which charter company would bring Aaliyah and her crew back to the United States.

After investigating the cause of the crash, authorities assumed that the small twin-engine plane was overloaded by 318 kilograms when taking off from the airport on the Bahamian island of Abaco.

When did Aaliyah die?

Aaliyah died on Saturday, August 25, 2001, at around 6:45 p.m.

After filming for Aaliyah's music video “Rock the Boat” was completed in the Bahamas, the singer and her team planned to return to the United States that same day. The New York Times reported that the charter airline was changed at the last minute, thereby reducing the aircraft's weight limit.

Although the 10-seat Cessna piloted by Morales arrived nearly two hours late, the weight of passengers and their luggage was not checked before boarding, as required by federal regulations, the release said. Experts later suspected that the weight of passengers and cargo was not evenly distributed.

During the inquest into the causes of the crash in 2003, two taxi drivers – who dropped Aaliyah and her crew off at the airport – and a customs officer testified that they were concerned about the amount of equipment they were carrying, according to CBS News.

As the plane took off at around 6:45 p.m., an eyewitness saw the plane “drift to the left and plummet to the ground at frightening speed,” he reported. The New York TimesThe crash lasted “less than a minute,” he said.

Aaliyah died along with five other passengers in the impact, the remaining three later succumbed to their injuries.

Where did Aaliyah die?

Aaliyah died at the airport in Marsh Harbor on the Bahamian island of Abaco. The Cessna 402B crashed a few meters from the airport runway.

Aaliyah and the other passengers on the plane were on their way to Miami after spending two days on the island to shoot a music video for their song “Rock the Boat.”

The work was released posthumously and attracted attention as Aaliyah's last creative project. The clip shows scenes in which Aaliyah dances on a beach on Treasure Cay, a peninsula on the island, so B Magazine, as well as with her background dancers on the deck of a yacht.

How old was Aaliyah when she died?

Aaliyah was 22 years old at the time of her death.

What lawsuits were filed after Aaliyah's death?

Following Aaliyah's death, her parents, Diane and Michael Haughton, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Instinct Productions – the video production company that created the “Rock the Boat” music video and coordinated transportation to and from the Bahamas – and other defendants. The New York Times.

In the autumn of 2003, two years after the singer's death, the family reached a settlement with the defendants, the amount of which was not disclosed.

The Haughton family also settled with Blackhawk (the operator of the Cessna 402B) and flight broker Atlantic Flight Group for negligence in the crash. Billboard reported in 2003.

The families of Eric Forman and Anthony Dodd – two of Aaliyah’s crew members who died in the crash – have also filed wrongful death lawsuits against Instinct, Blackhawk, Virgin Records and Blackground, according to Billboard.

How did the public react to Aaliyah's death?

In the days following Aaliyah's death, fans across the country held memorial services for the singer and fellow musicians honored her with heartfelt statements.

Two days after her death on August 27, 2021, hundreds of people gathered near Aaliyah's former high school in Detroit to remember the singer with a candlelight vigil. They admired her work and her position as a role model for young girls, said Billboard.

Rapper DMX, who starred alongside Aaliyah in the film Romeo must diereleased a statement after her death. “Talented, noble, warm-hearted, beautiful, compassionate [and] “Humility best describes my memories of Aaliyah, a down-to-earth sister with enough energy to put anyone on a cloud,” it said, according to Billboard.

Music producer Timbaland, who has worked with Aaliyah on songs such as “Are You That Somebody?”, spoke on the MTV show Total requirement live. “She and I had this chemistry. I lost half of my creativity to her,” he said. “Apart from music, she was a brilliant person who [most special] person I have ever met.”

A year after Aaliyah's death, LeBron James announced that the singer had influenced his career. NBA star James told Sports illustrated that Aaliyah's unexpected death inspired him to continue playing despite a career-threatening injury in college. “Tomorrow is not guaranteed,” he explained. “I needed to be on the field with my team.”

What legacy did Aaliyah leave behind?

Even today, Aaliyah’s music still causes a stir.

After years of disagreement between Aaliyah’s estate and her former record label – run by her uncle – over the release of her music on streaming platforms, Aaliyah’s second album, One in a millionwas released on Spotify shortly before the 20th anniversary of the singer's death in 2021, with the remaining projects following soon after.

Even more than 20 years after her death, artists and fans regularly pay tribute to Aaliyah and her music. On the occasion of the 18th anniversary of Aaliyah's death in 2019, Victoria Monét remembered the late singer on X (formerly Twitter).

“I will forever remember her and her music because they influence all of my goals, my voice, my movement, my energy and my soul. I love you Aaliyah,” she wrote.

On Aaliyah's 40th birthday in 2019, her brother Rashad shared a poem he wrote in her honor.

Two years later, Missy Elliot also expressed her support for the “Try Again” singer on her 41st birthday.

“You still inspire people!” she wrote. “Your edge and smooth dancing is SO EFFORTLESS, your UNIQUENESS and STYLE are unmatched 🔥 MUSICALLY your songs will FOREVER be NEXT LEVEL! RIP Babygal loved forever 🕊🙏🏾❤️.”