Other Notables Who Died in Flight
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Oct. 12, 1997: John Denver, 1970s superstar with hits like "Take Me Home, Country Roads," is killed in crash of his experimental plane off California coast.
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April 18, 1996: Nebraska quarterback Brook Berringer is killed when the small plane he was piloting crashed northwest of Lincoln, Neb.
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April 3, 1996: Commerce Secretary Ron Brown is among 35 killed when Air Force passenger jet crashes in Croatia during a trade mission to the Balkans.
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April 5, 1991: Former Sen. John Tower and NASA astronaut Manley "Sonny" Carter Jr. among those killed in the crash of an Atlantic Southeast Airlines flight near Brunswick, Ga.
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April 1, 1991: Sen. John Heinz, R-Pa., killed when his plane collides with a helicopter over Merion, Pa.
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Aug. 27, 1990: Blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan and other performers killed when a helicopter crashes into a hill in East Troy, Wis., after departing from a concert.
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Aug. 7, 1989: Rep. Mickey Leland, a Texas Democrat who chaired the House Select Committee on Hunger, killed when plane crashes during a trip to inspect relief efforts in Ethiopia
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Dec. 31, 1985: Rick Nelson, Ozzie and Harriet TV star turned rock 'n' roller, killed when plane catches fire and crashes near DeKalb, Texas.
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Aug. 2, 1979:
Thurman Munson, New York Yankees catcher, killed in crash of his private plane in Canton, Ohio.
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Aug. 3, 1976: Missouri Rep. Jerry Litton is killed with his family when his plane crashes en route to Kansas City, where they were to attend a victory party marking Litton's winning the Democratic nomination to the U.S. Senate.
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Sept. 20, 1973: Singer Jim Croce, known for hits such as "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown," killed in plane crash near Natchitoches, La.
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Dec. 31, 1972:, Roberto Clemente, Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder, killed in crash while flying to Nicaragua to aid earthquake victims.
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Oct. 16, 1972: House Majority Leader Hale Boggs, D-La., Rep. Nick Begich, D-Alaska, killed when their plane disappears over Alaska.
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May 30, 1971: Audie Murphy, World War II hero who became film actor, mostly in Westerns and war movies, killed in small plane crash in Carroll County, Va.
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Aug. 31, 1969: Former heavyweight boxing champion Rocky Marciano killed in crash near Newton, Iowa.
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Dec. 10, 1967: Soul singer Otis Redding killed when plane crashes into a lake near Madison, Wis., days after he recorded the ballad "Sittin' On the Dock of the Bay."
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July 31, 1964:
Jim Reeves, country balladeer with hits such as "Four Walls" and "Welcome to my World," killed in crash of a small plane in Nashville, Tenn.
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March 5, 1963:
Patsy Cline, whose country hits included "Crazy," and fellow singers Cowboy Copas and Hawkshaw Hawkins killed in plane crash near Camden, Tenn.
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Feb. 3, 1959: Rock stars Buddy Holly, J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson and Ritchie Valens killed when chartered plane crashes near Mason City, Iowa, en route to a show.
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Dec. 15, 1944:
Glenn Miller, trombonist and leader of a hugely popular dance band entertaining troops, killed when his plane disappears on flight from England to Paris.
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Jan. 16, 1942:
Carole Lombard, actress in such comedies as Nothing Sacred, killed in plane crash near Las Vegas while on a tour to sell war bonds.
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Aug. 15, 1935:
Will Rogers, cowboy humorist, killed in plane crash near Point Barrow, Alaska.
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March 31, 1931: Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne killed when his plane flew into a storm and fell into a wheat field near Bazaar, Kan. |