Plane registered to 'Titanic' composer crashes 01:03
Story highlights
- A small plane belonging to Horner crashed Monday in California
- Horner's assistant says he died in the crash; "We have not heard from him," his lawyer says
- Horner scored several blockbuster movies, including "Titanic," "Braveheart" and "Avatar"
Los Angeles (CNN)Academy
Award-winning composer James Horner, known for his impressive body of
work spanning multiple movie genres, is feared dead after a small plane
belonging to him crashed in central California on Monday, killing the
pilot.
It is not known whether the 61-year-old Horner, best known for scoring the movie "Titanic," was the person flying the plane.
But the Hollywood Reporter reported his death, attributing the confirmation to Sylvia Patrycja, his assistant.
"A great tragedy has struck my family today, and I will not be around for a while. I would like some privacy and time to heal," Patrycja posted on her Facebook page.
"We
have lost an amazing person with a huge heart, and unbelievable talent.
He died doing what he loved. Thank you for all your support and love
and see you down the road. Love Sylvia."
Horner's lawyer couldn't confirm his death, but said he hadn't heard from the composer since the crash.
"He is an experienced pilot. He owns several planes. We have not heard from him," Jay Cooper told CNN.
Condolences pour in
Horner
won two Oscars for his work on the 1997 James Cameron-directed
"Titanic" -- earning best original dramatic score and best original song
for the Celine Dion classic, "My Heart Will Go On."
He
was nominated for Academy Awards 10 times and wrote the music for
numerous blockbusters, including "Braveheart," "Apollo 13" and "The
Amazing Spider-Man." He collaborated again with Cameron for 2009's "Avatar," the top-grossing film of all time.
Reaction to his reported death was immediate, with celebrities who worked with him posting condolences.
"Brilliant
Composer James Horner, friend & collaborator on 7 movies has
tragically died in a plane crash. My heart aches for his loved ones,"
tweeted Ron Howard, who directed "Apollo 13."
Leona Lewis, who worked with
Horner on the theme for "Avatar," said working with the composer "was
one of the biggest moments of my life."
"He was such a kind soul, I'm so saddened," she tweeted.
Crash circumstances
The
single-engine S312 Tucano crashed under unknown circumstances near
Cuyama, about 60 miles north of Santa Barbara, on Monday morning, the
Federal Aviation Administration said.
The
debris field from the crash was scattered across a roughly 1-acre area
in a dry riverbed, said Mike Eliason, a spokesman for the Santa Barbara
County Fire Department.
The aircraft caught fire on impact, and the flames spread to the surrounding vegetation, he said.
Firefighters
who arrived on the scene were able to quickly put the fire out, but the
occupant of the plane had died on impact, Eliason said.
The pilot was the only person on board, the FAA said.
The
name of the victim will have to come from local authorities, the FAA
said. CNN has reached out to Ventura and Santa Barbara counties for
information, and left messages for Horner's agent.
A person answering the phone at Horner's house asked for privacy, the Los Angeles Times reported.
More than 75 films
Horner
was born in 1953 in Los Angeles, but he grew up in England, studying
piano at London's Royal College of Music. He moved back to the U.S. to
attend college, earning a music degree from the University of Southern
California, and then his master's and doctorate from UCLA.
Horner composed music for more than 75 films, making his feature-film debut in 1982 in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan."
In
addition to the accolades he earned for "Titanic," Horner won Grammy
Awards for "Somewhere Out There" from "An American Tail" in 1987 and
"Glory" in 1990. He also composed the music for such 1980s classics as
"Field of Dreams," "Cocoon" and James Cameron's "Aliens" in 1986.
Horner leaves behind a wife, Sarah, and two daughters.
/////////---------------///
The aircraft impacted brush terrain in the upper Cuyama Valley southeast of Ventucopa, California. The airplane was partially consumed by the post-impact fire and the sole pilot onboard received fatal injuries.
/////////---------------///
JUNE 22, 2015
VENTUCOPA, CALIFORNIA
The pilot of a two-seat training plane died in a crash near
Ventucopa Monday morning, officials said.
The incident was reported about 9:30 a.m. along Quatal
Canyon Road, about two miles from Highway 33.
Ian Gregor, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation
Administration, said the pilot was the only person in the plane, described as a
single-engine S312 Tucano MK1.
The crash sparked a brush fire in the area that burned about
one acre and there was a large debris field, Ventura County Fire Capt. Mike
Lindbery said.
Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, Santa Barbara County Fire
Department and Los Padres National Forest officials also responded to the
incident.
The National Transportation Safety Board was notified of the
crash.
Lindbery said the area is near where Santa Barbara, Ventura
and Kern counties meet. He described the area as being remote and surrounded by
agriculture and grassland.
“There’s a lot of fields and open highway,” Lindbery said.
Date:
|
22-JUN-2015
|
Time:
|
09:30
|
Type:
|
|
Owner/operator:
|
|
Registration:
|
|
C/n / msn:
|
|
Fatalities:
|
Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
|
Other fatalities:
|
0
|
Airplane damage:
|
Catastrophic
|
Location:
|
Santa Barbara County, SE of Ventucopa, CA -
United
States of America |
Phase:
|
Unknown
|
Nature:
|
Unknown
|
Departure airport:
|
|
Destination airport:
|
Narrative:
The aircraft impacted brush terrain in the upper Cuyama Valley southeast of Ventucopa, California. The airplane was partially consumed by the post-impact fire and the sole pilot onboard received fatal injuries.
Sources:
http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=177199
http://www.vcstar.com/news/local-news/crews-respond-to-report-of-plane-crash-fire-near-ventucopa_83293633
http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Cuyama-Aircraft-Crash-Brush-Fire-309071951.html#
http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/MMS_results.aspx?Mmstxt=8100527&Statetxt=CA&conVal=0&PageNo=1
http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/MMS_results.aspx?Mmstxt=8100527&Statetxt=CA&conVal=0&PageNo=1