Rising R&B singer Aaliyah dies in plane crash

Associated Press

MARSH HARBOUR, Bahamas — R&B singer and actress Aaliyah died when a small plane that was to carry her and eight others back to the United States crashed after takeoff in the Bahamas, authorities said.

Eight were killed in Saturday’s crash, and one critically injured man was flown to Florida for treatment, officials said.

"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," said Minister of Tourism Tommy Turnquest, who happened to be visiting Abaco Island, where the plane went down.

Aaliyah’s song "Try Again" earned her a Grammy nomination for best female R&B vocalist. She made her feature acting debut in the film "Romeo Must Die."

Bahamian national television quoted the civil aviation department as saying Aaliyah (pronounced AH-lee-yah, the name means "highest, most exalted one" in Swahili) was among nine Americans on board.

Aaliyah Dani Haughton, who was born in January 1979 in Brooklyn, N.Y. and grew up in Detroit, Mich., had the lead role in "Queen of the Damned," based on the third novel in Anne Rice’s "Vampire Chronicles." The movie is scheduled for an October release.

Aaliyah was to play the character Zee in the sequel to "The Matrix," which was to be released next year.

The private plane was leaving the Marsh Harbour airport on a trip to Opa-locka, Fla. when it went down Saturday evening, said police spokesman Marvin Dames.

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

Islander Derek Russell, who worked for the group during the video shoot, said he got the artist’s autograph before the accident.

"She’s a nice girl, a friendly girl," he said.

The cause of the crash was unclear. Kathleen Bergen, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration in Atlanta, said the plane was a Cessna 402 owned by Skystream, a company based in Pembroke Pines, Fla. She said the plane crashed at the end of the airport’s runway at 6:50 p.m.