Maybe you are one of the people who spend hours in their daily commutes. If you ride public transportation in the Middle East, then you will spend a considerable part of your time just waiting. Meanwhile, you may fantasize yourself as a VIP with a private jet or even a Porsche under service to pick you to your destination in minutes! However, fast does not always mean safe; and VIPs are not immune from danger.
Here is a list of the top 10 most famous people who died in plane crashes:
10 Steve Fossett
For a pilot the odds of dying in a plane crash are high. Steve Fossett was an entrepreneur and a bold adventurer who in 2007 took his last trip off from the Flying-M Ranch in Reno, Nevada. The downward wind knocked the plane down the mountain, leaving the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) looking for him in vain for a month. Fossett was the first person to fly solo nonstop around the world in a balloon. His unique record of aerial feats was the source of motivation that led to his perishment. “I pursue world records for the sense of personal achievement. I never tire of the satisfaction of reaching another goal. I will always find fascinating new endeavors,” Fossett’s own words resonate.
9 Lech Kaczynski
Kaczynski was the fourth president of Poland, and was in office from 2005 to 2010. He, his wife Maria Kaczynska and 90 Polish public figures took the plane to the Russian city Smolensk to commemorate the Katyn massacre when the plane crashed near the Smolensk Air Base. Afterwards, members of Polish Air Force were forced to leave their positions due to real defects found in the sector.
8 Roberto Clemente
The famous Pittsburg outfielder who made his major league in 1955 was not only a baseball star. Clemente used to be a voice for minorities and was famous for his charitable work. In 1972, Clemente went along with the flight that was providing supplies for Nicaraguan earthquake victims, but the plane crashed right after its departure.
7 Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq
Zia-ul-Haq was the sixth president of Pakistan, who came in power in 1977 after overthrowing Bhutto. He was known for making Pakistan an Islamic state. In 1988, after taking the plane to Islamabad along with a number of Pakistani military figures, the plane exploded. Undefined conspiracy theories were said to be the reason for the crash.
6 Manchester United football team
After winning the European Cup in Munich, the Manchester United football team did not have much time to celebrate at home, as the plane that took them from Munich crashed before reaching British lands.
5 Abdul Salam Arif
Arif was the second president of Iraq, from 1963 until his death in 1966. He participated in the coup against Hashemite, and named as a president. In 1966, the Royal Iraqi Air Force carrying Arif crashed and his brother Abdul Rahman succeeded him.
4 Buddy Holly
Holly was a musician, singer and rock and roll legend. He produced some brilliant rock music pieces. Heading to Minnesota in 1959 with Ritchie Valens, J. P. Richardson, during the Winter Dance Party, the plane crashed. The three of them found dead along with the pilot.
3 Amy Johnson
Johnson was a talented British aviatrix. She has many long-distance records, among which was her first solo flight to Australia. It was the first time for a woman to do such a feat. During World War II, she joined the Air Transport Auxiliary that was when her plane crashed and her body never recovered.
2 John F. Kennedy Jr.
A lawyer, journalist, and the son of U.S president John Kennedy. He was expected to have a life in politics following his father but had not much time. In 1999, His private plane crashed while carrying him along with his wife to Massachusetts.
1 Yuri Gagarin
Gagarin, Russian-Soviet pilot, became the first human to land in space when his Vostok 1 spacecraft made a 108-minute orbital flight around the earth.