A small plane registered to Oscar-winning composer James Horner crashed in the Cuyama Valley on June 22. The single-engine S312 Tucano MK1 crashed for unknown reasons, leaving a debris field, a 1-acre brush fire, and no survivors.
Horner, an accomplished composer, scored more than 100 films. He won two Oscars, two Golden Globes, and three BAFTA awards. He wrote the score for Titanic, the best-selling orchestral film soundtrack of all time, and collaborated with director James Cameron again to score Avatar, the highest-grossing movie ever. For the Titanic soundtrack, he penned the Celine Dion signature “My Heart Will Go On.” That single sold 15 million copies worldwide.
Mike Lindberry, public information officer for the Ventura County Fire Department, told the Sun they weren’t sure how many people were on the plane. The identity of the pilot wasn’t released as of press time.
Attorney Jay Cooper declined the Sun’s requests for comment. He told the Associated Press that nobody has heard from Horner and that “if he wasn’t in it, he would have called.” The plane, he said, is one of several owned by the 61-year-old composer.
Horner’s assistant Sylvia Patrycja posted on Facebook that a great tragedy has struck the family: “We have lost an amazing person with a huge heart, and unbelievable talent,” she wrote. “He died doing what he loved. Thank you for all your support and love and see you down the road.”
The plane crashed around 9:30 a.m. just over the Ventura County line—about two miles from the intersection of Highway 33 and Quatal Canyon Road. The Santa Barbara County Fire Department, alongside responders from Ventura County and Los Padres National Forest, came out with two fire engines, one bulldozer, a water tender, a battalion chief, and a helicopter. They quickly containd the flames.
This article appears in Jun 25 – Jul 2, 2015.