Aaliyah was killed in a plane crash on Saturday night along with Gina Smith, 29, of New Jersey, Aaliyah's product manager at Blackground Records; Blackground Records own Keith Wallace, 49, of Los Angeles; Douglas Kratz, 28, Virgin Records' director of video production; her bodyguard Scott Gallin, 41; Aaliyah's personal hair stylist Eric Forman, 29, of Los Angeles; hair stylist Anthony Dodd, 34, of Los Angeles; and makeup artist Christopher Maldonado, 32, of New York; as well as the plane's pilot, identified only as L. Maradel.
The Cessna 402 was departing from the Marsh Harbour airport bound for Opa-locka, Florida, when it crashed shortly after takeoff at approximately 6:50pm, police say. The plane is said to have crashed approximately 200 feet from the end of the runway killing six people instantly. Three others died later due to their injuries.
Aaliyah had just completed filming of her video for "Rock The Boat", directed by Hype Williams, in which she took time off of her promotional tour to shoot. It was only two weeks ago that Aaliyah completed filming of her "More Than A Woman" video and she was also scheduled to be a presenter at the 2001 MTV awards on Thursday, September 6th in New York City. Aaliyah had already completed the initial shooting for the Matrix II in Los Angeles last month and was scheduled to fly to Australia after the New Year to finish up principal photography for The Matrix II & III. {Article from www.aaliyah2001.com website}
The tiny Cessna aircraft that crashed and killed Aaliyah and eight others on Saturday was overloaded, a report from investigators in the Bahamas shows.In a statement issued Thursday, Randy Butler of the Bahamian Civil Aviation Department said the Cessma 402B wa s;paded wotj fie; amd cargo to a weight of 5,495 pounds. Since the craft's maximum authorized takeoff weight is 6,300 pounds that left only 805 pounds available for the passengers and pilot - just under 90 pounds per person.
"The plane was definitely overloaded," said John Frank of the Cessna Pilots Association, based in Santa Maria, California. Officials have yet to determine the exact weight of the people onboard the plane. They were able to weigh all baggage except one piece, which sank into a swamp, the statement said.
Overloading alone may not be enough to case a crash, Frank said, adding that the behavior of the plane -- witnesses said it veered sharply to the left soon after takeoff -- suggests the load was not balanced evenly, which would have made the craft more difficult to handle. The report said the location of the bags on the aircraft before the crash has not been determined.The report also said both of the plane's engines were in good working order and that the craft showed no evidence of "pre-crash damage." Butler said that information on the plane's maintenance records and pilot is still being gathered and that the craft's propellers will be examined in the U.S. {information from MTV.com website dated 8/31/2001>}
August 31,2001-Deep sorrow engulfed Manhattan?s Upper East Side this Friday morning as Aaliyah Dana Haughton?s body was transported in a beautiful white-and-glass horse-drawn carriage from the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel to the nearby St. Ignatius Loyola Church for a private funeral
service. A small group of family and friends, led by Aaliyah?s grieving mother, father and brother, Rashaad, followed the coffin, covered in pink roses -- the singer?s favorite color.Hundred of fans wearing T-shirts that read, ?Aaliyah Rest In Peace? solemnly trailed behind the 22-year-old?s family and friends. Once at the church, fans lined up behind police barricades across the street while mourners entered the church. At the same time, Cipriani?s restaurant, in conjunction with Aaliyah?s record label, Blackground Records, held an open memorial service for the public, which featured screens playing Aaliyah interviews and videos. At 10 a.m., almost 100 people were waiting in line to pay their respects to their fallen star.
Aaliyah?s brother, Rashaad, exuding a great deal of strength, delivered a touching eulogy to his sister, stating that she had always been there for him and that whenever he will look at the sun rise, he will undoubtedly think of her smile. The church choir sang a tender rendition of "Ave Maria" The Mass, which only lasted an hour, ended with tearful guests making their way outside the church. In what can only be described as a soul-stirring tribute, 22 white doves, one for
each year of Aaliyah?s life, were released following the ceremony. Fans let out cries of sadness and joy as they gazed up the doves flying towards the sky. It was a truly fitting service for an
exceptional young lady.Aaliyah Dana Haughton will be buried at Ferncliff Cemetery and Mausoleum in Hartsdale, Westchester County, NY. {Article from BET.com website - August 31, 2001}
Photos taken from: Aaliyah 2001, Aaliyah Online, BET