The Death of Aaliyah, 23 Years Later: What Caused the Tragic Plane Crash?

Aaliyah died at the age of 22 in August 2001

Aaliyah. Photo: RJ Capak/WireImage

Aaliyah changed the sound of R&B music and was one of the most beloved singers of the ‘90s.

Born Aaliyah Dana Haughton, the mononymous singer began her career at 11 years old when she performed with her aunt Gladys Knight for five nights in Las Vegas. Aaliyah was only 14 when she released her first album, Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number in 1994 — which received American Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards and Soul Train Awards nominations for best new artist and skyrocketed her into popularity.

Aaliyah’s second album, One in a Million, went double platinum after its release in 1996, and her third — and final — album, Aaliyah, dropped in 2001 and peaked at No. 2 on Billboard‘s top 10 list. Sadly, two months after the debut of her self-titled album, Aaliyah’s life was tragically cut short when she died in a plane crash in the Bahamas after filming her music video “Rock the Boat” on Aug. 25, 2001.

Following Aaliyah’s death, her musical and personal legacy lived on: She received three posthumous Grammy Awards nominations for Aaliyah and earned nods for her acting in the vampire movie Queen of the Damned.

In honor of the late singer’s birthday in January 2024, a tribute was posted on Instagram to celebrate what would have been her 45th birthday.

“You were more than just a daughter, sister, friend, and role model, Aaliyah,” it read. “You were a revolution of sound, a beacon of style and an inspiration to millions. You showed us how to own our power, embrace individuality, and move through the world with fierce grace. … We miss you every day, but your light still stays with us.”

To mark 23 years since the singer’s death, here’s a look at what happened the day Aaliyah died and the legacy she left behind.

How did Aaliyah die?

Aaliyah in concert in Irvine, California.Chris Walter/WireImage

Aaliyah died in a plane crash in the Bahamas when a small twin-engine Cessna 402B crashed shortly after takeoff.

The chartered plane was carrying Aaliyah and eight others, including the singer’s hairdresser, bodyguard, a record executive and the plane’s pilot, per The New York Times. The plane’s wings “shattered on impact,” and the engine and landing gear were torn off, the outlet reported. Aaliyah and five of the other passengers died instantly; three others died of their injuries the next day.

Aaliyah’s official cause of death included “severe burns and a blow to the head,” the pathologist who performed autopsies on the victims testified in court during a coroner’s inquest into the crash in 2003, according to CBS News.

The pathologist also testified that an autopsy of the pilot, Luis Antonio Morales, revealed he had “cocaine in his urine and traces of alcohol in his stomach.” The pilot was also not certified to fly the Cessna 402B and had been hired by the charter company a few days before the crash, per The New York Times. Morales had also been sentenced to probation for cocaine possession two weeks prior.

In addition, the newspaper reported that the days leading up to the flight were filled with confusion and mistakes — including overweight cargo for Aaliyah’s music video being delivered to the wrong Bahamian island and multiple changes of which charter company would bring Aaliyah and her crew back to the United States.

After investigations into the causes of the crash, officials believed that the small twin-engine plane was 700 pounds overloaded when it took off from the airport on the Bahamian island of Abaco.

When did Aaliyah die?

Aaliyah during an apperance at Virgin Megastore in London.Fred Duval/FilmMagic

Aaliyah died on Saturday, Aug. 25, 2001, at around 6:45 p.m.

After wrapping filming for Aaliyah’s “Rock the Boat” music video in the Bahamas, the singer and her crew planned to return to the U.S. the same day. The New York Times reported that the charter plane company was changed at the last minute, downsizing the aircraft’s weight limit.

Despite the 10-seat Cessna piloted by Morales arriving nearly two hours late, the weight of the passengers and their baggage weren’t checked prior to boarding, as required by federal regulations, according to the publication. Experts later believed that the weight of passengers and cargo wasn’t evenly distributed.

During the 2003 coroner’s inquest into the causes of the crash, two taxi drivers — who dropped Aaliyah and her crew off at the airport — and a customs official testified that they were concerned about the amount of equipment they had with them, per CBS News.

When the plane took off at around 6:45 p.m., an eyewitness saw the plane “bank left and fall to the ground at a frightening speed,” he told The New York Times. The crash took “less than a minute,” he said.

Aaliyah died on impact along with five other passengers, and the remaining three later died of their injuries.

Where did Aaliyah die?

Aaliyah backstage at Madison Square Garden for Lifebeat’s Urban Aid benefit concert on October 5, 1995 in New York City.Catherine McGann/Getty

Aaliyah died on the Bahamian island of Abaco at the airport in Marsh Harbor. The Cessna 402B crashed a few yards from the airport’s runway.

Aaliyah and the plane’s other passengers were headed for Miami after spending two days on the island filming a music video for her song “Rock the Boat.”

The work was released posthumously and garnered attention as Aaliyah’s last creative project. The clip features scenes of Aaliyah dancing on a beach in Treasure Cay, a peninsula on the island, according to W magazine, as well as with her backup dancers on the deck of a yacht.

How old was Aaliyah when she died?

Aaliyah was 22 years old at the time of her death.

What lawsuits were filed after Aaliyah’s death?

Rashad Haughton and Diane Haughton at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards on August 29, 2002.Matt Baron/BEI/Shutterstock

After Aaliyah died, her parents, Diane and Michael Haughton, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Instinct Productions — the video production company that created the “Rock the Boat” music video and coordinated transportation to and from the Bahamas — and other defendants, per The New York Times.

In the fall of 2003, two years after the singer’s death, the family reached an undisclosed settlement with the defendants.

The Haughton family also reached a settlement with Blackhawk (the company operating the Cessna 402B) and flight broker Atlantic Flight Group for negligence in the crash, Billboard reported in 2003.

The families of Eric Forman and Anthony Dodd — two of Aaliyah’s crew who were killed in the crash — also filed wrongful death lawsuits against Instinct, Blackhawk, Virgin Records and Blackground, according to Billboard.

How did the public react to Aaliyah’s death?

A fan of R&B singer/actress Aaliyah signs a record store mural of the late singer in what has become a shrine dedicated to her.Steve Grayson/WireImage

In the days after Aaliyah’s death, fans held memorials for the singer across the country, and fellow musicians honored her with heartfelt statements.

Two days after her death on Aug. 27, 2021, hundreds of people gathered near Aaliyah’s former high school in Detroit to remember the singer with a candlelight vigil. They admired her work and her position as a role model to young girls, according to Billboard.

Rapper DMX, who starred alongside Aaliyah in the movie Romeo Must Die, released a statement after her death. “Talented, classy, warm, beautiful, compassionate [and] humble best describes my memories of Aaliyah, a down-to-earth sister with enough energy to put anyone on a cloud,” it read, according to Billboard.

Music producer Timbaland — who collaborated with Aaliyah on songs like “Are You That Somebody?” — spoke about the singer on MTV’s Total Request Live. “Me and her together had this chemistry. I kinda lost half of my creativity to her,” he said. “Beyond the music, she was a brilliant person, the [most special] person I ever met.”

A year after Aaliyah’s death, LeBron James revealed that the singer influenced his career. The NBA star James told Sports Illustrated that Aaliyah’s unexpected death inspired him to keep playing through a career-threatening injury in college. “You’re not promised tomorrow,” he explained. “I had to be out on the field with my team.”

What kind of legacy did Aaliyah leave behind?

Aaliyah at the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards.Barry Roberts/BEI/Shutterstock

Today, Aaliyah’s music continues to generate buzz.

After years of disagreements between Aaliyah’s estate and her former record label — run by her uncle — regarding putting her music on streaming platforms, Aaliyah’s second album, One in a Million, was released on Spotify just before the 20th anniversary of the singer’s death in 2021, with the remaining projects released soon after.

Artists and fans regularly pay tribute to Aaliyah and her music over 20 years after her death. On the 18th anniversary of Aaliyah’s death in 2019, Victoria Monét remembered the late singer on X (formerly Twitter).

“I will forever hold her & her music with me as an influence in all of my goals, my voice, my movement, energy & soul. I love you Aaliyah,” she wrote.

On what would have been Aaliyah’s 40th birthday in 2019, her brother Rashad shared an original poem he penned in her honor.

Two years later, Missy Elliot also expressed her support of the “Try Again” vocalist on her 41st birthday.

“You are still inspiring people!” she wrote. “Your edgyness & smooth dancing SO EFFORTLESS your UNIQUENESS & STYLE unmatched 🔥MUSICALLY your songs will 4EVER be NEXT LEVEL! RIP babygal 4Ever Loved🕊🙏🏾❤️.”