What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Aaliyah Dana Haughton died at 22 on August 25, 2001, when a Cessna 402B crashed shortly after takeoff from Marsh Harbour Airport in the Bahamas. The aircraft was carrying Aaliyah and eight other people on a flight bound for Opa-locka, Florida. There were no survivors.
Aaliyah Dana Haughton died at 22 on August 25, 2001, when a Cessna 402B crashed shortly after takeoff from Marsh Harbour Airport in the Bahamas. The aircraft, registered as N8097W, was carrying Aaliyah and eight other people on a flight bound for Opa-locka, Florida. There were no survivors.
The crash ended the life of a singer and actress whose career was still expanding across music, film, and visual media. It also generated years of retellings that blurred documented facts with speculation. The official record establishes the basic circumstances of the accident, but the accessible National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) accident brief does not provide a detailed probable-cause finding. That distinction matters when revisiting Aaliyah’s death.
The final flight from Marsh Harbour
According to the accessible NTSB accident record, the crash occurred at approximately 6:45 p.m. Eastern daylight time on August 25, 2001. The aircraft was a Cessna 402B, registration N8097W. It was registered to Skystream Inc. and operated by Blackhawk International Airways Inc. as a Part 135 air-taxi flight.
#1 Best Overall
The plane departed from runway 27 at Marsh Harbour Airport, located on Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas. Its intended destination was Opa-locka, Florida. The record states that visual meteorological conditions prevailed. A visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan had been filed but had not been activated.
The aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff. The commercial-rated pilot and all eight passengers were fatally injured, making nine fatalities in total. Contemporary Associated Press reporting identified Aaliyah as one of the passengers and described the accident as a small-plane crash after departure from the Bahamian airport.
Why Aaliyah was in the Bahamas
Aaliyah had been in the Bahamas filming the music video for “Rock the Boat,” a track from her 2001 self-titled album. ABC News later summarized the immediate chronology by reporting that she boarded the aircraft after the video shoot. That account provides the entertainment context for the trip, while the NTSB record supplies the aviation details; they should not be treated as the same kind of evidence.
“Rock the Boat” appeared on Aaliyah, her third studio album, released in 2001. The album also included “More Than a Woman” and “I Care 4 U,” among other songs. Its release marked a period in which Aaliyah’s music, image, and visual work were developing together, making the Bahamas shoot part of a larger artistic moment rather than an isolated final assignment.
What the official record establishes—and what it does not
The accessible NTSB entry is an accident brief, and it identifies the foreign authority as the source of the information. It confirms the aircraft type and registration, the operator, the departure airport and runway, the intended destination, the weather classification, the flight-plan status, and the nine fatalities.
It does not, on the page reviewed, provide a detailed final probable-cause conclusion. It also does not supply a verified weight-and-balance calculation or a final determination about pilot impairment. Those omissions are important because later media accounts and secondary summaries have discussed issues including aircraft loading, pilot qualifications, and toxicology.
Those subjects should not be presented as settled fact without the underlying Bahamian investigation, a primary toxicology record, or a primary court or aviation document. The responsible conclusion from the accessible record is narrower: a chartered Cessna 402B crashed shortly after takeoff in visual weather conditions, killing everyone aboard. A more specific explanation requires primary documentation that is not established by the materials reviewed here.
That caution is not an attempt to minimize the tragedy. It avoids turning an incomplete public record into a definitive accusation—and avoids implying that Aaliyah was responsible for operational decisions made by the pilot or charter operator.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Rank #3
A career moving beyond music
Aaliyah was born in Brooklyn, New York, on January 16, 1979, and was raised between New York and Detroit. By the time of her death, she had built a career as a recording artist while moving decisively into acting and other business and creative interests.
Her film work had already begun to broaden her public identity. She appeared opposite Jet Li in Romeo Must Die, released in 2000. Her next major film, Queen of the Damned, was released after her death. The posthumous release made the interruption of her acting career especially visible: audiences could see one of the projects she completed, but not the longer film career that might have followed.
Her music was also entering a more mature phase. The 2001 album Aaliyah continued the restrained, atmospheric R&B direction associated with her later work while retaining the precise visual presentation that had become part of her identity. “Rock the Boat” and “More Than a Woman” represented an artist still actively shaping her sound and screen presence, not one looking back on a completed career.
Remembering her music
For listeners returning to her catalog, Aaliyah’s One in a Million CD is one physical-format option documented in the available retail research. The album is central to understanding the artistic development that preceded her self-titled record. Availability, pressing, and seller information can change, so a purchase listing should be checked for the exact edition.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsCollectors may also encounter Aaliyah vinyl records, including edition-specific releases connected with I Care 4 U and a “Back & Forth” 12-inch release documented by Record Store Day. Vinyl availability is particularly variable: a listing may refer to a reissue, a limited release, or a used copy rather than a continuously stocked edition.
Why the loss still resonates
Aaliyah’s death remains culturally significant not only because it was sudden, but because it interrupted a cross-medium career at a moment of expansion. She had already established herself in recording, had taken a leading film role, and was developing a visual language that connected her songs, videos, and performances.
Rank #4
The loss also affected the eight other people aboard the aircraft. A respectful account cannot treat the crash solely as a celebrity tragedy. Aaliyah’s fame explains the enduring public attention, but the documented event was the death of nine people on a Part 135 flight from the Bahamas to Florida.
Her legacy is therefore best understood through both parts of the story: the aviation accident that ended her life and the body of work that shows what she had already accomplished. The latter should not be reduced to a footnote before the crash, and the former should not be filled out with theories the accessible official record does not establish.
The 24th anniversary—and the approaching 25th
August 25, 2025 marked 24 years since the crash. With the current publication date set before August 25, 2026, the exact 25th anniversary will be August 25, 2026. Using the date rather than a shifting phrase such as “24 years ago” prevents confusion as the anniversary changes.
More than two decades later, the clearest account remains a careful one: Aaliyah died at 22 in a plane crash shortly after takeoff from Marsh Harbour Airport, alongside eight others. The official material establishes those core facts. Her music and films preserve the career that was still unfolding, while the unanswered or insufficiently documented aspects of the accident should remain qualified rather than transformed into certainty.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Aaliyah die?
Aaliyah died on August 25, 2001, in a plane crash shortly after takeoff from Marsh Harbour Airport in the Bahamas. She was 22 years old.
Where was Aaliyah’s plane going?
The flight was intended to travel from Marsh Harbour Airport in the Bahamas to Opa-locka, Florida. The aircraft crashed shortly after departing runway 27.
Recommended Free Tools
What caused Aaliyah’s plane crash?
The accessible NTSB accident brief confirms the aircraft, operator, route, weather conditions, flight-plan status, and nine fatalities. It does not provide a detailed probable-cause finding, verified weight-and-balance calculation, or final pilot-impairment determination on the page reviewed.
Why was Aaliyah in the Bahamas?
Aaliyah had been in the Bahamas filming the “Rock the Boat” music video, which appeared on her 2001 self-titled album. Later entertainment reporting connected the flight to the end of that shoot.
The Bottom Line
Aaliyah died on August 25, 2001, when Cessna 402B N8097W crashed shortly after takeoff from Marsh Harbour Airport while bound for Opa-locka. The accessible official record confirms the flight’s basic facts and nine fatalities, but it does not establish a detailed probable cause. Remembering the tragedy responsibly means honoring all those who died while recognizing the remarkable music and film career Aaliyah was still building at 22.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →
