Death of Aaliyah

Aaliyah Plane Crash

A Cessna 402 similar to the one flown by Luis Morales III and boarded by Aaliyah.
Accident summary
Date August 25, 2001
Summary Pilot error
Site Marsh Harbour Airport, Abaco Islands, The Bahamas
Passengers 8
Crew 1
Fatalities 9 (all)
Survivors 0
Aircraft type Cessna 402B
Operator private
Registration N8097W
Flight origin Marsh Harbour Airport, Abaco Islands, The Bahamas
Destination Miami, Florida

On August 25, 2001, Aaliyah Dana Haughton, an American recording artist, boarded a twin-engine Cessna 402B (registration N8097W) at the Marsh Harbour Airport in Abaco Islands, The Bahamas after completing filming for the music video for the single "Rock the Boat". Accompanying her were members of her recording company Virgin Records. The plane, piloted by Luis Morales III, crashed shortly after takeoff. The crash killed Aaliyah instantly and resulted in the deaths of everyone else on the plane, including the pilot, who was later found to have traces of cocaine and alcohol in his system.

The investigation following the crash looked into the possibilities of the plane being overweight and this was supported by accounts of the passengers arguing with Morales, who reportedly refused to take off before giving in. Her body was returned to the United States three days later; the funeral home which prepared her body would make accusations in a lawsuit that they had not been paid for their services. Her funeral was held six days later on August 31, 2001 in New York. Her death came only a month after the release of her self-titled third album Aaliyah. Posters for the album became makeshift memorials for grieving fans. At her funeral, she was eulogized by her brother Rashad Haughton. In the years following the crash, there were lawsuits made by multiple parties in relation to the casualties. Aaliyah was just 22 years old.

Background

Aaliyah appeared on BET's 106 & Park on August 21, 2001 and announced shooting for the single "Rock the Boat" would begin the following day. She also gave away an Escalade to an audience member.[1] The music video was directed by Hype Williams. 58 people worked on the video in The Bahamas in total.[2] On August 22, she filmed underwater shots for the video in Miami, Florida.[3] On August 23, Aaliyah and the members of the record company flew to The Bahamas on two flights using a Fairchild Metro III, chartered through Sky Limo.[2] She was scheduled to leave The Bahamas on August 26, but she chose to leave the day before since she had finished early. Williams recalled: "Aaliyah left midproduction, so we were still shooting when she left".[4]

Travel arrangements for the music video's filming began a little more than a week before the plane crash. Atlantic Flight Group, based in Miami, Florida, arranged the travel by serving as flight broker. Atlantic Flight Group coordinated the other cargo and charter services which owned and operated the planes in use.[2] According to her brother Rashad Haughton, recording of the music video was the first time during her career where she was not accompanied by a member of her immediate family. At the time of the video's filming, Rashad was in Australia and her mother had recently had eye surgery, during which Aaliyah's father took care of her.[5]

Death

Aaliyah on the day of her death.

On August 25, 2001, at 6:50 p.m. (EDT), Aaliyah and the members of the record company boarded a twin-engine Cessna 402B (registration N8097W) at the Marsh Harbour Airport in Abaco Islands, The Bahamas, to travel to the Opa-locka Airport in Florida, after they completed filming the music video for "Rock the Boat".[6] They had a flight scheduled the following day, but with filming finishing early, Aaliyah and her entourage were eager to return to the United States and made the decision to leave immediately. The designated airplane was smaller than the Cessna 404 on which they had originally arrived, but the whole party and all of the equipment were accommodated on board.[7] The plane crashed shortly after takeoff, about 200 feet (60 m) from the runway.[6]

Aaliyah and the eight others on board—pilot Luis Morales III, hair stylist Eric Forman, Anthony Dodd, security guard Scott Gallin, family friend Keith Wallace, make-up artist Christopher Maldonado, and Blackground Records employees Douglas Kratz and Gina Smith—were all killed.[8] Gallin survived the initial impact and spent his last moments worrying about Aaliyah's condition, according to paramedics.[9] The plane was identified as being owned by Florida-based company Skystream by Kathleen Bergen, spokeswoman for the US Federal Aviation Administration in Atlanta. Initial reports of the crash identified Luis Morales as "L Marael".[10]

The passengers grew impatient since the Cessna was supposed to arrive at 4:30 p.m. (EDT) but did not until 6:15 p.m. (EDT)[2] and it was reported that the passengers argued with Morales before the crash. Charter pilot Lewis Key claimed to have overheard the argument, adding that Morales warned the passengers there was too much weight for a "safe flight". Keys further stated: "He tried to convince them the plane was overloaded, but they insisted they had chartered the plane and they had to be in Miami Saturday night."[11] Further reports by Keys indicated Morales gave in to the passengers and that he had trouble getting one of the engines started.[12]

Keys also expressed the possibility that engine failure could have caused the crash along with the overweight of the plane, recalling others who saw the plane having reported seeing it lose an engine at takeoff. Witness George Thomas believed none of the passengers nor the pilot could have survived the crash, based on the intensity of the crash and the pieces of equipment scattered about. He also recalled the conditions of the bodies. "It was an awful sight. Some bodies were so badly disfigured, you couldn't identify them. And two guys were alive — one screaming and screaming for help. He was horribly burned all over."[11]

Aaliyah had thoughts a month before her death that something bad was about to happen to her. "Someone's following me and I don't know why. I'm scared. Then suddenly I lift off. Far away. As if I'm swimming in the air. Nobody can reach me. Nobody can touch me".[13] It is posited that this was a premonition in Aaliyah's dreams of what was about to happen.[14]

The New York Post printed the last photograph taken of Aaliyah before the crash,[15] that of her and a fan, Alvin Lightdouin, who wanted a picture as a souvenir. Aaliyah spoke with Lightdouin for 15 minutes and she gave him a hug as well. Lightdouin praised her for a recent donation she had made to charity and Aaliyah explained "God blessed me with money and now it's time to give back."[9][16] Claude Sawyer, a 25-year-old charter pilot, witnessed the crash. He saw the Cessna go down as he was working on some machinery "about half a mile" away. He recalled the plane being only "60 to 100 feet" off the ground before it crashed. He went to get a firetruck and was stunned by what he saw upon arriving at the crash site. "I've seen crashes before but that was probably one of the worst ones," Sawyer said. "It was pretty devastating. The aircraft was broken into pieces and some of the seats were ejected from the aircraft."[17]

Investigation

According to findings from an inquest conducted by the coroner's office in The Bahamas, Aaliyah suffered from "severe burns and a blow to the head", in addition to severe shock and a weak heart.[18] The coroner theorized that she went into such a state of shock that even if she had survived the crash, her recovery would have been nearly impossible.[19] The bodies were taken to the morgue at Princess Margaret Hospital in Nassau, where they were kept for relatives to help identify them. Some of the bodies were badly burned in the crash.[20]

As the subsequent investigation determined, when the aircraft attempted to depart, it was over its maximum takeoff weight by 700 pounds (320 kg) and was carrying one excess passenger, according to its certification.[21] The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report stated that "the airplane was seen lifting off the runway, and then nose down, impacting in a marsh on the south side of the departure end of runway 27 and then exploding in flames."[22] It indicated that the pilot was not approved to fly the plane. Morales falsely obtained his Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) license by showing hundreds of hours never flown, and he may also have falsified how many hours he had flown in order to get a job with his employer, Blackhawk International Airways.[23] Additionally, an autopsy performed on Morales revealed traces of cocaine and alcohol in his system.[24]

The NTSB reported that the maximum allowed gross weight of the plane was "substantially exceeded" and that the center of gravity was positioned beyond its rear limit.[22] John Frank of the Cessna Pilots Association stated that the plane was "definitely overloaded".[25] The U.S. joined the investigation on August 27, 2001 as authorities from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration arrived in The Bahamas.[26] On August 31, the same day Aaliyah's funeral took place, it was reported by an independent expert, John Franks of the Cessna Pilots Association, that the plane was overloaded. His statement came as investigators declined to comment on weight being a factor in the crash.[27]

Return to the United States

On August 28, 2001, Aaliyah's body was returned to the United States. Her body was flown on a private jet to the Newark International Airport in Newark, New Jersey. Over 100 people waited outside Butler's Funeral Home and Crematorium at Ernest and York streets in Nassau as four men lifted her coffin into a hearse. It was then taken to the Nassau airport, where a private jet scheduled to return the body to the United States was waiting.[28][29]

Loretta R. Turner, funeral director of Butler's Funeral Home and Crematorium at Ernest and York streets in Nassau said people started calling in on August 27 to pay their respects. The other victims of the crash were flown the day after, on August 29. U.S. Embassy spokesman Brian Bachman reported Virgin Records as paying costs of all the mortuary services in The Bahamas and the return of the bodies to the United States as well as the funerals.[30]

Aaliyah's family was staying at the Trump International Hotel at the time her body returned and staff members reported flowers and condolences had been sent in steadily since Aaliyah died over the weekend. A worker at the reception desk disclosed at least 500 bouquets had arrived for the family in the three days between the crash and Aaliyah's body being returned to the country, mostly delivered by grieving fans. Aaliyah's publicist Jill Fritzo said the Haughton family was touched by the support they received from fans and reported the condition of the family. "They're hanging in there. It's very tough for them".[31]

Funeral

An open gate revealing the road to enter a cemetery, surrounded by grass, flowers and trees.
The entrance to Ferncliff Cemetery, where Aaliyah is interred

Aaliyah's funeral was held on August 31, 2001, at the St. Ignatius Loyola Church in Manhattan. Her body was set in a silver-plated copper-deposit casket, which was carried in a glass hearse and was drawn by horse.[32] An estimated 800 mourners were in attendance at the procession.[33][34] Among those in attendance at the private ceremony were Missy Elliott, Timbaland, Gladys Knight, Lil' Kim and Sean Combs.[32][35][36] After the service, 22 white doves were released to symbolize each year of Aaliyah's life.[37] Aaliyah was interred in a private room at the end of a corridor in the Rosewood Mausoleum at the Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York. Her father Michael, who died in 2012, is interred in the crypt directly above her.[38] The inscription at the bottom of Aaliyah's portrait at the funeral read: "We Were Given a Queen, We Were Given an Angel.”[39]

Her brother Rashad delivered the eulogy and described his sister as giving him strength. "Aaliyah, you left, but I'll see you always next to me and I can see you smiling through the sunshine," he said. "When our life is over, our book is done. I hope God keeps me strong until I see her again." He read the names of the other victims of the crash and concluded with asking mourners to pray for them as well. As Diane Haughton and the mourners left, they sang Aaliyah's song "One in a Million".[40]

The funeral came under criticism by Rod Dreher, a columnist in The New York Post, for being out of hand. "Right, so we're all sad that Aaliyah is dead, and no one begrudges her a proper sendoff. But a traffic-snarling, horse-drawn cortege in honor of a pop singer most people have never heard of? Give us a break." Al Sharpton responded to the column by defending the funeral and Aaliyah, questioning how "you determine that one life is not as important as another?"[41] Col Allan, editor of The New York Post, supported the column and Dreher. "I stand by Rob Dreher. He had a right to express an opinion."[42]

Criticism of Blackhawk

Blackhawk International Airways came under scrutiny by the Federal Aviation Administration. FAA reported Blackhawk as having authorization for limited use of the plane, to such an extent, that it was theorized that Morales would not have been able to pilot the plane. In the three years prior to the crash, Blackhawk was cited four times. The company was fined $1,500 in 1998 for violating safety rules in United States airspace. It received a warning for not testing employees for drugs in 1999 and was cited in 2000 for failing to comply with maintenance standards.[31] Gilbert Chacon, head of Blackhawk at the time of the crash, plead guilty in 1993 to bankruptcy fraud involving another charter service. There was no evidence the managers had prior knowledge of Chacon's background.[2]

Background of pilot

After the crash, revelations about the private life of the plane's pilot Luis Morales III came about, as well as his activities during the final month of his life. From an early age Morales expressed interest in planes. His grandfather was a commercial pilot who gave Morales his first rides at age 11. Morales began formal flight training at age 17 at the Isla Grande Flying School. Authorities told relatives not to discuss the case. Despite this, Morales' sister spoke on behalf of the family. "We are confident the investigation is not going to disclose anything that would involve negligence on behalf of my brother. He has vast experience flying planes. He had been doing it since he was 14.... They are talking about a person who cannot defend himself."[43]

Morales received his pilot license in February 2000.[31] His job piloting the plane was the second job as a pilot since getting his license.[16] In October 2000, he was turned down for being too inexperienced after applying to Tropic Air of Fort Lauderdale.[2] Morales was reported by Broward County Sheriff’s records to have been caught with pieces of crack cocaine in his car after being pulled over for driving his car through a stop sign on August 7, 2001. Morales was booked on a felony cocaine-possession charge. He was also charged with having driven with a suspended license and running a stop sign. The arrest report stated that Morales told officers he was in the area to purchase powder cocaine for a friend.[44]

Luis Morales III was reported in August 2001 by the Associated Press, The Palm Beach Post and other news outlets alleged that Morales had been sentenced to probation on August 13, 2001. The probation was due to him being found with a small amount of cocaine in his car during a traffic stop. Other reports, such as one by the New York Times on September 8, 2001 and another in the Sun-Sentinel questioned if Morales was qualified to fly the plane. Gabriel Penagaricano served as a lawyer for the family of Luis Morales and during an interview with Christopher John Farley, dismissed any questions about Morales' flight record as "the words of a fool." Penagaricano defended Morales as a "young man, totally dedicated to his profession and had set his sights on flying for one of the major airlines. In the meantime, he was doing what everybody else of his age and experience does, which is to fly for a charter operator in order to build up flying time." Penagaricano claimed Morales was "certainly" qualified to pilot a Cessna 402B.[45] Shortly before the crash, Morales was fired as a pilot from Golden Airlines in Florida for failing to appear at work.[2]

U.S. aviation officials said on August 28, 2001, Morales had been hired by Blackhawk International Airways just two days before the crash and was not authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration to fly the plane for the operator. Records from the FAA showed Blackhawk International Airways was clear to fly planes under a single-pilot certificate. However, according to Kathleen Bergen, spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration in Atlanta, Morales was not on the name authorization papers.[46] Bergen did not identify the pilot who was on the papers, since "it would not be appropriate" for the Federal Aviation Administration to release the name. She only confirmed it was not Morales, who was qualified to fly the Cessna, but not on Blackhawk's certificate.[44] Morales's father addressed his son's death and responsibility in the crash. "Luis was responsible for nine lives - eight plus his own. Someone is going to have to respond for those eight lives. And someone is going to have to respond for his life to me."[16] He said he had spoken to his son in early August 2001 and the younger Morales related he was doing something he was passionate about.[43]

Lawsuits

The day of the crash was Morales' first official day with Blackhawk International Airways, an FAA Part 135 single-pilot operation. Morales was not registered with the FAA to fly for Blackhawk. As a result of the accident, Aaliyah's parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the company, which was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.[47] Barry & Sons, Inc., a corporation formed in 1992 to develop, promote and capitalize Aaliyah and to oversee the production and distribution of her records and music videos, brought an unsuccessful lawsuit in the New York Supreme Court against Instinct Productions LLC, the company that was hired in August 2001 to produce the music video for "Rock the Boat". The case was dismissed because New York's wrongful death statute permits only certain people in relation to the deceased to recover damages for wrongful death.[48][49]

Family lawsuits

The families of Eric Foreman and Anthony Dodd filed lawsuits against Virgin Records alleging the record label was negligent in chartering the plane that killed the two and the other passengers.[50] The lawsuit also alleged that Blackhawk had been cited four times in the previous four years. Attorney Brian Panish charged that the victims of the crash died instantly because Virgin Records "put profits over people" at a news conference.[51] In less than a week, the relatives of Scott Gallin joined in on suing Virgin Records, charging that the record label and its affiliated music and video production units were liable for Gallin’s death because they handled the arrangements for Aaliyah’s video shoot in the Bahamas. Allegations in the lawsuit by the relatives of Gallin included that the record label should have hired a “competent” transportation broker and air charter company and that Blackhawk allowed the pilot to fly the plane even though he was unqualified and he took off with the plane dangerously overloaded.[52] Stuart Grossman represented the Gallin family during the lawsuit and reasoned that even the pilot did not want to take off due to not liking the loading and called it "outrageous". He added: "This is a case of trying to put a size 12 foot in a size 10 shoe."[53]

Aaliyah's parents

In May 2002, Aaliyah's parents filed a lawsuit against Virgin Records in Los Angeles, similar to those filed by the families of Foreman and Dodd, alleging negligence. The lawsuit claimed that a "dangerous and unsafe configuration" of the Cessna was the cause of the crash and that it was the " wrong plane " for the charter flight, as well as suggesting Morales was not properly qualified. In addition to suing Virgin Records, the lawsuit by her parents named several video companies and Blackhawk International Airways. The defendants listed were music video director Harold Williams, Instinct Productions, Big Dog House Films, Blackground Records LLC, Skystream and Blackhawk International Airways. An investigator for the Bahamian Civil Aviation Department stated neither Blackhawk or Skystream had a permit to operate commercial charter flights in the Bahamas.[54] In September 2003, lawyers for her parents filed a notice in federal court to say the case had been settled with an agreement to keep details confidential.[55]

Funeral home

In August 2002, the funeral home which prepared Aaliyah's body and the bodies of the other eight people of the crash publicly accused Virgin Records of not paying the bill. Loretta Turner, of Butler's Funeral Homes and Crematorium in Nassau, told Time Magazine $68,000 was spent preparing the bodies and at the time, Virgin executives Ken and Nancy Berry agreed to cover all of the expenses incurred. By the time of Turner's announcement that the funeral home had not been paid, Ken and Nancy Berry had left the record label; Turner tried to contact executives at Virgin Records and appealed to the US Embassy in Nassau for help, but failed to resolve the situation. "They have kept us waiting for nearly a year and have basically said, since the Berrys are no longer there, they have no responsibility to us," Turner stated. Although the funeral home did not take legal action, Turner did contact Robert Spragg, the lawyer for Aaliyah's parents. According to Spragg, the record label also owed the Haughton family money for funeral costs, stating "Those payments were never made to the family to reimburse those costs, and they were substantial".[56]

Loretta Turner spoke to E! Online about the case and reflected on how the incident had come about. "Because Aaliyah was, in their words, 'high profile,' they asked us to expedite things. So we were working over the weekend to get the bodies out as quickly as possible," Turner said. "[The deal] was all verbal, but the truth of the matter is, they knew they were obliged. They contacted all of the families themselves, sent us all of the necessary information and told us not to deal directly with the family members, that they would be responsible."[57] It was reported at the time of the funeral home not being paid that Aaliyah's parents planned to file a lawsuit against Virgin Records for not fulfilling its promise to pay Aaliyah's funeral expenses. Turner said she would hold onto the death certificates of the passengers and pilot. The death certificates were required before Aaliyah's estate could be settled and the lawsuits could be filed.[58]

Turner said she had tried to contact company executives via phone calls, letters and faxes, but was not successful. Turner reported Butler's Funeral Homes and Crematorium in Nassau as having a good relationship with the U.S. Embassy who according to her had supported the funeral home in a potential lawsuit against Virgin Records since it was a reputable company. "Now this reputable company has kept us waiting for nearly a year and have basically said, since the Berrys are no longer there, they have no responsibility to us. I don't know if they think we are some sort of Third-World banana republic and we're not up to scratch, but it just gives a pretty bad view of things in our view."[57]

Ruling of lawsuit against Instinct Productions

In May 2004, it was ruled by a judge that Aaliyah's record company Blackground Entertainment could sue production company Instinct Productions. Instinct Productions provided transportation for the filming of "Rock the Boat" and Blackground previously filed a negligence lawsuit in civil court against Instinct Productions in November 2003. Instinct Productions argued that Blackground had no right to recover damages since Aaliyah was a company employee but the judge, Carol Edmead, found that Aaliyah was also Blackground's chief asset. She wrote the company's "growth and prosperity were primarily the result of its efforts to successfully develop and nurture Aaliyah's career" and noted the company was founded in 1992 by Barry Hankerson for the sole purpose of promoting Aaliyah, who was 13 at the time.[59]

Reaction

Fans of the singer in New York City were reported as being in grieving. New York City was where Aaliyah had spent the first five years of her life living before relocating to Detroit.[60] Quincy Jones told the Associated Press that he was devastated by her death. Tourism minister Turnquest stated “We find it devastating and most unfortunate that after having this world-famous star Aaliyah and her crew select the Bahamas as their choice location for her latest video, the project has climaxed on such a tragic note”.[6][61] Two days after she died, on August 27, 2001, fans gathered near her former high school to remember her in a candlelight vigil.[62] By August 29, 2001, four days after she died, nearly 6,000 people emailed BBC News "expressing shock and sorrow" at her death.[63]

Gladys Knight expressed she felt "blessed" to have known Aaliyah and stated: "I watched her grow up, and, with the rest of the world, saw her achieve success with her special and unique talents." She continued: "From an early age, I knew she had enormous talents, an intrinsic gift. When she first performed with me in Las Vegas, she was still quite young, but she already had it - that spark the world would later see and fall in love with." Silbert Mills, an official on Abaco Island, reported the denizens playing her music there and added "That's the whole tragedy of it. We felt as if we knew her, yet we didn't."[64] Beyoncé praised her good nature and stated "She was one of the first celebrities we met, she was so nice, we went out, we hung out with her, and it's really sad and we're trying to be strong". Lil' Kim described the crash as "really devastating" and said she "could never find anything bad about her."[65]

Her Romeo Must Die co-star Jet Li heard of her death and was "deeply saddened that she is no longer with us. She was a wonderful and talented artist who will be missed by everyone whose lives she touched." DMX called her "talented, classy, warm, beautiful, compassionate, humble."[66] Damon Dash said he was "crushed and heartbroken over the loss of such a beautiful and talented woman whom I loved deeply and meant the world to me" and Sean Combs remembered Aaliyah as "just one of those individuals that would light up a room", adding: "She was very down to earth. She was a special individual. . . . We all saw her grow up from a little girl into a woman. It's a hard, sad day for everyone." Ginuwine referred to her as family, said he would miss her and offered his condolences to her family, while speaking to the New York Daily News from Los Angeles.[67] Brian McKnight complimented Aaliyah as being "really genuine and nice and not jaded about being a star". Jill Scott said she felt numb over Aaliyah's death given her age, talent and beauty and added: "It hurts, and it's sad, and we'll miss her."[68]

Hot 97 Hot Jock Star mocked her death by playing a tape of a woman screaming while a crash is heard in the background on August 27. Rumors circulated that he was attacked by friends of Aaliyah, which Star denied. Star was suspended and expressed remorse for his actions, admitting they were in "poor taste". Star said he had underestimated the tolerance of his urban audience, reasoning that he had grown up "listening to Howard Stern and other white humor". He expressed the possibility that it was too late and said "I'm trying not to make fun of anything Aaliyah-related right now, because I'm aware people are trying to focus all their anger on me."[69]

Aftermath

With Aaliyah's death, there was an increase in sales of her third album. The album, self-titled Aaliyah, was released only a month before she died and debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, selling over 187,000 copies in its first week. According to SoundScan, this was more than four times greater than the first-week sales of her last effort, 1996's One in A Million.[70] The album was already gold when she flew to Abaco Island in the Bahamas to finish the video for the album's intended second single, "Rock the Boat," directed by Hype Williams.[71] Prior to her death, due to lack of a second single and promotion, it was selling slower than her second album. Sales picked up tremendously following her death and by 2009 the album is estimated to have sold three million copies.[72] Within the weeks following her death, the album went from number nineteen to number one on the Billboard 200, which was predicted when retailers reported massive sales after she died.[73] The following year in 2002, a compilation album titled I Care 4 U was released, featuring six new songs and selling 1.73 million copies.[74]

At the time of her death, Aaliyah was working on appearing in several films, to be released back-to-back. One of these was a remark of the 1976 film Sparkle, produced by Whitney Houston. Houston would later say that Aaliyah was interested in being in the film to the point of being "enthusiastic", but after she died, Houston chose to have the film shelved because her lead had "gone to a better place."[75] The film would later be completed in 2012 with Jordin Sparks replacing Aaliyah. She had filmed part of her role in "The Matrix Reloaded" and was scheduled to appear in the film's sequel "The Matrix Revolutions". The role was recast to Nona Gaye.

In popular culture

Aaliyah's death has been referenced in popular culture numerous times. Jay-Z did a remix to her song "Miss You" where he spoke to her in the lyric, “What’s up baby girl? You know I had to talk to you again,” before listing the names of people in her life who missed her such as Timbaland, Missy Elliot and her brother Rashad. He then addressed her relationship with Damon Dash and called her "our little angel".[76] The music video for "Miss You" featured tributes by Aaliyah's friends and collaborators. The Jay-Z song "Glory" mentioned the crash when warning his daughter to exercise safety in the lyric, "Just make sure the plane you’re on is bigger than your carry-on baggage.”[77] Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B, a biopic of Aaliyah's life, does not feature a recreation of the crash, but the film mentions her death in text following the final filmed scene where Aaliyah parts ways with Damon Dash to leave for the Bahamas.

References

  1. ↑ "Check Out The Footage of Aaliyah's Last Interview Ever". XXL. August 25, 2014.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 "Aaliyah - Haste, Errors and a Fallen Star". New York Times. September 8, 2001.
  3. ↑ Farley, pp. 10-11.
  4. ↑ "Aaliyah Obituary: Remembering the R&B Star". Rolling Stone. October 11, 2001.
  5. ↑ Farley, John. Aaliyah: More Than A Woman. Simon & Schuster. p. 176. ISBN 0-7434-5566-5.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Schumacher-Rasmussen, Eric (August 26, 2001). "Aaliyah Killed in Plane Crash". MTV News. Archived from the original on April 18, 2009. Retrieved April 9, 2009.
  7. ↑ Sutherland 2005, p. 119
  8. ↑ "U.S. investigators to probe Aaliyah crash". CNN. August 27, 2001. Archived from the original on April 13, 2009. Retrieved April 8, 2009.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Farley, pp. 169-170.
  10. ↑ "R&B's Aaliyah dies in plane crash". BBC News. August 26, 2001.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Argument Broke Out Before Aaliyah Plane Crash, Witness Reports". Fox News. August 27, 2001.
  12. ↑ "More Questions Emerge in Aaliyah Crash". ABC News. August 29, 2001.
  13. ↑ Marcus Errico (August 29, 2001). "Aaliyah Funeral Set; Pilot Probed". E!. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
  14. ↑ New Woman, January 2005, p 66.
  15. ↑ "Photograph of cover". homestead.com. Retrieved 2014-08-23.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 "Death of a soul diva". The Observer. September 2, 2001.
  17. ↑ Farley, p. 170.
  18. ↑ "Coroner Delivers Verdict Over Aaliyah Death Crash". NME. November 20, 2003. Retrieved March 5, 2010.
  19. ↑ "Bahamas Coroner delivers verdict in Aaliyah death crash". Caribbean News. Caribbean Net News. November 21, 2003. Archived from the original on January 27, 2004. Retrieved February 7, 2007.
  20. ↑ Hirschman, Bill (August 27, 2001). "Singer Aaliyah dies in Bahamas plane crash". Sun Sentinel.
  21. ↑ Moss, Corey (July 16, 2002). "Cocaine, Alcohol Found in Pilot of Aaliyah's Plane". MTV News. Archived from the original on June 23, 2009. Retrieved June 17, 2009.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 NTSB Identification: MIA01RA225 (Technical report). National Transportation Safety Board. Retrieved June 11, 2009.
  23. ↑ Simmonds 2008, p. 455
  24. ↑ Holguín, Jaime (November 11, 2003). "Aaliyah Crash Pilot Was on Cocaine". CBS News. Retrieved April 7, 2009.
  25. ↑ Schumacher-Rasmussen, Eric (August 31, 2001). "Report Shows Aaliyah's Plane Was Overloaded". MTV News. Archived from the original on June 2, 2009. Retrieved July 2, 2009.
  26. ↑ "U.S. Joins Investigations of Crash That Killed Aaliyah". KOMO News. August 27, 2001.
  27. ↑ "Expert: Aaliyah Plane Was Overloaded". Billboard. August 31, 2001.
  28. ↑ "Singer Aaliyah's body returned to U.S.". Chicago Tribune. August 29, 2001.
  29. ↑ "Singer Aaliyah's Body Flown To United States". idobi Network. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  30. ↑ "Crowds Pay Tribute As Bodies Sent Home". Sun Sentinel. August 29, 2001.
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 31.2 Canedy, Dana (August 30, 2001). "Questions Raised About Pilot in Crash That Killed Singer". New York Times.
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