Those Killed in Aaliyah Crash
Rina J.
Posted at 12:47 a.m. EDT Sunday, August 26, 2001
Singer Aaliyah, 7 others die in plane crash
BY RICHARD BRAND, LISA ARTHUR AND TERE FIGUERAS
tfig...@herald.com
Eight people, including R&B singer and actress Aaliyah, were killed Saturday
evening when a small plane scheduled to fly to Opa-locka Airport crashed
shortly after takeoff from Abaco Island in the Bahamas.
The Cessna 402, registered to Skystream Inc. of Pembroke Pines, had just taken
off from Marsh Harbour Airport on Abaco when it crashed at 6:50 p.m., said
Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen.
Six people died at the crash site, and one died at the government clinic in
Marsh Harbour. Two were flown to Nassau, where one died from burns. The one
survivor was identified by police as Scott Gallin, 41, of Pompano Beach.
Bahamian police Superintendent Basil Rahming confirmed late Saturday that
Aaliyah, on Abaco to shoot a music video, was among those killed.
Aaliyah Haughton, 22, was born in Brooklyn, but grew up in Detroit. She had her
first top-10 single at age 15. Working with such R&B and hop-hop powerhouse
producers as R. Kelly and Missy Elliott, she was known for her tomboy style.
Having established herself as a singer, she branched out into film with her
starring role in Romeo Must Die. She was executive producer of the soundtrack
for that movie, which featured her hit Try Again.
Her most recent album, titled Aaliyah, was released in July. Her film career
was also taking off: She was cast in the forthcoming Matrix sequel.
Rahming said the other passengers killed were 34-year-old Anthony Dodd of Los
Angeles, who died on an emergency transport to Nassau; Keith Wallace, 49, also
of Los Angeles; Eric Foreman, 29, and Douglas Kratz, 28, both of Hollywood,
Ca.; Gina Smith, 29, of New Jersey; and Christopher Maldonado, 32, of New York.
The plane's pilot, identified only as L. Marael, also died.
Gallin was being treated at Princess Margaret Hospital in Nassau, Rahming said.
The two-engine plane apparently lost its right engine, said Kathy Ralph, a
dispatcher for the island's fire department.
The Cessna burst into flames after plummeting into a stretch of swampy brush,
making it difficult for rescue workers to get to the plane, she said.
Ralph's husband, a firefighter, had to slog through knee-high water to get to
the scene.
``They had trouble getting to the plane,'' said Ralph, who also runs an island
newspaper with her husband.
Witnesses described a gruesome scene at the small airport.
``They were pretty badly burned, black all over their bodies. You couldn't tell
who they were. They were carried on stretchers into the hospital,'' said George
Culmer, 40, who works near the airport.
Culmer said dozens of people gathered at the airport after the crash.
``This is a small island, so when something like this happens, everybody wants
to know what happened,'' he said.
Herald staff writers Evelyn McDonnell and Sam Eifling and The Associated Press
contributed to this report.
~~Pete Sampras: In a class all his own~~
"and he thought he heard the echoes of a pennywhistle band, and the laughter
from a distant caravan"
PAdams4232
kat...@earthlink.net
>Angeles, who died on an emergency transport to Nassau; Keith Wallace, 49, also
>of Los Angeles; Eric Foreman, 29, and Douglas Kratz, 28, both of Hollywood,
>Ca.; Gina Smith, 29, of New Jersey; and Christopher Maldonado, 32, of New York.
>The plane's pilot, identified only as L. Marael, also died.
If this is accurate, then Hype Williams is not among the dead - his
real name is Harold Williams.
Kathie
3finger
> Her most recent album, titled Aaliyah, was released in July. Her film
> career
> was also taking off: She was cast in the forthcoming Matrix sequel.
That was a very poor choice of words for a story about a plane accident.
--
3finger
Chicago Cubs: World Series Champions 1907, 1908