Aaliyah's 23rd death anniversary: Key details of the plane crash that took the R&B icon's life

R&B and pop star Aaliyah tragically passed away in a plane crash 23 years ago.

Aaliyah made a huge impact on the music scene with her debut album Age Ain’t Nothing But A Number in 1994, followed by hit singles like "Back & Forth" and "At Your Best (You Are Love)." Her alluring voice, trendy hip-hop style, and confident persona catapulted her to fame in the 1990s and early 2000s before her premature death.

On August 25, 2001, just two months after the release of her self-titled album, Aaliyah died in a plane crash while returning from the Bahamas. She had just finished filming her final music video, "Rock The Boat." The aircraft, a small twin-engine Cessna 402B, crashed shortly after takeoff.

The plane carried seven others, including Aaliyah's hairdresser, bodyguard, a record executive, and the pilot, as reported by The New York Times. Upon impact, the plane’s wings were destroyed, and the landing gear was ripped off. Aaliyah was among the five passengers who died instantly, while the other three passed away from their injuries the next day.

The official cause of Aaliyah's death was "severe burns and a blow to the head," according to a pathologist’s court testimony covered by CBS News. The pilot, Luis Antonio Morales, had cocaine in his urine and traces of alcohol in his stomach. Morales was not certified to fly the Cessna 402B and had been hired by the charter company just days before the crash.

Morales had recently been on probation for cocaine possession, and there were significant logistical issues leading up to the flight, including misplaced cargo and confusion over which charter company was supposed to transport Aaliyah and her team back to the U.S. Investigations revealed that the plane was overloaded by approximately 700 pounds when it took off from Abaco Island, according to People.