Singer Aaliyah killed in plane crash

[Continuous Ignition]

ABACO, Bahamas (CNN) -- American R&B singer and actress Aaliyah is among eight people killed in a plane crash in the Bahamas.

The Cessna passenger plane crashed and burst into flames shortly after taking off from the island of Abaco bound for Miami on Saturday.

Abaco Assistant Police Superintendent Leland Russell said there were nine people -- all Americans -- on board the plane. One man survived the crash and was taken to a hospital in Nassau.

Aaliyah, 22, who was set to appear in the forthcoming sequel to "The Matrix," was on the island to film a new video.

Russell said the plane was leaving Marsh Harbour airport around 6:50 p.m. ET when it crashed and was engulfed by flames.

FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said the Cessna 402 was registered to Sky Stream of Pembroke Pines, Florida, and had been destined for Opa Locka, Florida.

Gloria Knowles, who works for Abaco Air Ltd. at Marsh Harbour airport, said baggage handlers reported the plane was overloaded with suitcases.

She said the handlers and the plane's pilot complained about the heavy load but the passengers insisted on taking everything with them.

Abaco Island Chief Councilor Silbert Mills said those killed included two women and six men.

Quincy Jones, 68, the Grammy-winning producer, arranger and composer, said he was devastated by Aaliyah's death.

He said: "She was like one of my daughters, she was one of the sweetest girls in the world.

"She vacationed with me and my family together in Fiji. I loved her and respected her and I am absolutely devastated."

The Bahamas' Minister of Tourism Tommy Turnquest told Associated Press: "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."

In July, Aaliyah released her third album -- the self-titled "Aaliyah" -- which debuted in the top five on the Billboard album chart.

The disc was recorded while the entertainer was filming the big-screen adaptation of Anne Rice's "Queen of the Damned."

She made her film debut in last year's urban drama, "Romeo Must Die."

Good reviews for that performance led to roles in the upcoming sequels to "The Matrix" with Keanu Reeves.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Aaliyah grew up in Detroit. She released her first album, "Age Ain't Nothing But a Number," at the age of 14.

Her hit single, "Try again," off the "Romeo Must Die" soundtrack, is nominated for R-and-B Song of the Year at this year's Soul Train "Lady of Soul" Awards which will be held on Tuesday.

Aaliyah won Best Female Video and Video from a Film for "Try Again," in the 2000 MTV awards.

[N380UA]

To bad!!

"...the handlers and the plane's pilot complained about the heavy load but the passengers insisted on taking everything with them."

Who got command anyway; The pilot or the PAX? :mad:

[LRdriver]

Tragic..

It just shows the ignorance of your average pax.
Like you said, whos in charge?, pax or PIC

I've seen this, you arrive to pick up pax,too many bags. You tell them and they say "it got here on the same airplane,so why not now?", pisses me right off, not enuff pilots with spine. I have no problems getting fired due to a safety decision made by me.

[Whiskery]

Couldn't agree more LR - would rather be fired than dead. Did a lot of charter work for musos and theatre people in the '70s. You really had to play hardball with them when it came to "what you could carry" in light twin engined aircraft.

[TowerDog]

Flew C-402s in the islands some years ago.
They are easy to over-load and barely flies on 2 engines when heavy, if ya lose one forget it.

Too early to speculate on cause of the crash, but 402 drivers would not be surprised if improper loading/CG was a factor.

[Sid and Coke]

Bad news nobody wants to hear of people dying in plane crashes , however, who was in charge the Captain or the passengers?
This comment assumes that overweight condition was a major cause.

" excuse me sir/madam but you're over your weight allowance"

" don't worry we'll pay the extra"

You betcha :(

[Check 6]

Gentlemen: The alleged statement by the passengers/pilot regarding baggage is at best 4th hand hearsay information.

The pilot is dead, and can not defend himself. How about waiting for the investigation to be completed before "monday morning quarterbacking" the deceased pilot.

[N380UA]

Check 6
with no disrespect to the deceased it sure seems to have been a w/b problems. Ground handlers have confirmed that as well as those familiar with the type such as towerdog. but your right, before before "monday morning quarterbacking" anyone let's see what the investigation is bringing to light.

[Huck]

For what it's worth, the wreckage on TV shows a very high energy impact - more like a spin than a forced landing.....

[TowerDog]

One of the Internet News Servers says the plane departed with a "Very Steep Climp".

Then it lost an engine..

The above from eye witnesses at the airport.

Pax and perhaps some pilots may not know that this class of airplane (Light Piston Twin) does not have to demonstrate any climb rate after an engine failure on take-off.

Not an "un-safe" aircraft, it just have some limitations and when at max gross weight will probably not climb on one engine unless the density altitude is way below SL.

Had the same arguments with pax in the islands about heavy luggage: No Sir, no Madam, we can not carry 9 pax and fill up the lockers with all the suitcases.

Been yelled at and been cursed and called incompent and worse.

(Only time I lost an engine in a C-402 we were light with only 1 pax and at altitude, the plane then flew just fine on one mill.)

What a horrible way to go: Trapped and burned to death.

[Paterbrat]

When flying 402's in charter in Kenya we had a call out to take some pax from a tech problem in Eldoret. Tech problem was a 402 in the field adjoining the end of the runway after failing to get airborne and overrunning. I parked at terminal and went up to see the pilot who was still sitting up at the wrecked aircraft and obviously distressed though luckily unhurt. High alt, high temp, heavy load, and a strip half grass half tarmac with a slope and a stong wind down the hill, the grass half was the top part of runway had all resulted in the first accident in his 9,000 hrs accident free flying. After commiserating I returned to find that the pax had loaded their own luggage and were now ready to go. All large Swedes they proudly informed me that they were 'hard men' and the previous accident had made no adverse impression on them. They wer ready to go, and by the way could I kindly hop to it as they had a schedule to keep. They were less than impressed when I insisted on unpacking their bags and asking to have them weighed first. I then tried to impress upon them that perhaps the fact that we were overweight might mean a repeat performance which I was not prepared to oblige. I was very pushed to get this over despite their previous lucky escape. They were pretty hard men as I recall, solid skulled as well. Some pax will just not listen even after the most dramatic of examples.
Comiserations to the victims of this one

[PAXboy]

Paterbrat, interesting story. May we know the conclusion?

Did they make the right weight, or did you have leave stuff/pax behind?
Thanks.

[whatshouldiuse]

Any reason my 1st 2 messages were deleted? Just not PC enough? Tough !!!


In today's NY Post, evidence from the Bahamas that this wasn't an overwieght scenario as opposed to where the "large people" sat. Both suspected occupants who are suspected of causing the crash, were 300lbs+ and because of their girth were physically umable to move up the aisle in the plane.


As a result, and this is pure heresay, [their large combined weight didn't cause a problem), the fact that both gentlemen seated at the back of the plane together did cause a problem in terms of weight distribution is more than possible once the plane became airborne.


It's no longer a case of the plane been overweight, it's where the extra weight was sitting... in this case at the back of the plane.


Whatshouldiuse

[SaturnV]

The plane was overloaded, unless 8 of the 9 passengers were severely anorexic. Read the following from CNN:

"According to a report released Thursday by the Bahamian Civil Aviation Department, the plane was
loaded to within 805 pounds of its
maximum takeoff weight, not counting
the weight of the nine people on board -- one of those a 300-pound bodyguard."

[Area Juliet]

Just a few calculations from a current 402 driver:

MTOW 6300 lbs
Basic Aircraft Weight 4345 lbs (my one)
1 pilot(standard UK) 187 lbs

useful load(fuel+pax)=>1768 lbs

fuel for taxi 10 lbs
climb 80
destination 200(1hr @ 200lbs/hr)
(still air)
alternate 50
5% margin 16
approach 40
45mins holding 150(IFR)

Total fuel required => 546 lbs (still air)

Allowable Payload 1768-546=1222 lbs

8 passengers => 1222/8= 152 lbs per passenger


With 6 male pax,...I don't think so. Oh, and what about all your luggage...Damn.

Boring I know, but thought I'd just let you know how limiting the range/payload ratio is with the 402. Those of you from that neck of the woods will probably have a better idea of the destination fuel but I reckoned on 1hr flight time.

As for the CofG situation, if you don't load from the front to the back it will sit on its tail. Very sensitive, especially considering the large amount of room behind the rear seats into which you could fit a lot of baggage.