On August 25, 2001, a small twin-engine aircraft carrying 22-year-old R&B singer and actress Aaliyah and eight other people crashed moments after taking off from Marsh Harbour Airport in the Bahamas.
The Cessna 402B, registered N8097W and operated by Blackhawk International Airways, was heading for Opa-Locka Airport near Miami, Florida, after Aaliyah and her entourage had completed filming the music video for “Rock the Boat.” All nine people aboard were killed.
The accident happened at about 6:45 p.m. local time. Weather was not a significant factor: conditions were visual, visibility was about 10 miles, the sky was clear and winds were light. The aircraft had been scheduled to arrive earlier in the afternoon, but its departure was delayed. Eventually, the passengers boarded the Cessna for the flight back to Florida.
The aircraft was a Cessna 402B, a twin-engine utility aircraft commonly used for passenger and charter operations. Blackhawk International Airways was operating the flight as an on-demand air taxi under U.S. Federal Aviation Regulations Part 135. The aircraft was registered to Skystream Inc. and had eight passengers plus one pilot on board.
According to accounts that emerged after the accident, concerns had been raised about the amount of weight being placed aboard the aircraft. The Cessna was smaller than the aircraft that had originally been used by the group, and the passengers also had luggage and equipment.
The aircraft was certified to carry a maximum of seven passengers, yet eight passengers boarded for the flight. Investigators later determined that the problem went far beyond simply having one extra passenger.
At approximately 6:45 p.m., the Cessna began its takeoff from runway 27. Witnesses saw it lift off but fail to climb normally. Instead, the aircraft remained extremely low and then pitched nose-down.
The NTSB’s factual information stated that the airplane was seen lifting from the runway before descending nose-first into marshland near the departure end of the runway. The crash occurred only about 200 feet from the runway…
