Composer James Horner, pictured in Beverly Hills, California, in 2010. PHOTO AFP
The aircraft came down in the Los Padres National Forest, north of Los Angeles, triggering a fire that charred more than an acre of brush, local fire authorities said.
Star actors from Russell Crowe to Kirstie Alley took to Twitter to pay tribute to Horner, after trade publications The Hollywood Reporter and Variety reported he had died in his private plane.
Director Ron Howard wrote: "Brilliant Composer James Horner, friend & collaborator on 7 movies has tragically died in a plane crash. My heart aches for his loved ones."
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Horner, 61, won two Academy Awards for his work on "Titanic", one for the score and one shared with lyricist Will Jennings for best original song - "My Heart Will Go On", performed by Celine Dion.
Horner also composed the music for "Aliens", "The Karate Kid", "Braveheart" and a string of other major films. His scores for "Avatar", "A Beautiful Mind" and "House of Sand and Fog" earned Oscar nominations.
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His attorney Jay Cooper told Reuters he had not heard from Horner since the crash, but could not confirm whether he was on board at the time. "He's an experienced pilot, but I know nothing else," Cooper said.
The Ventura County Fire Department said the plane crashed at 9:30 a.m. (1230 EDT Sunday) and there were no survivors. The cause of the crash was not immediately known.
Reactions poured in on the demise of the prolific composer:
https://twitter.com/Jessicaveronica/status/613232698375536644
My sincere condolences to the family, loved ones and friends of James Horner. #abeautifulmind
— Russell Crowe (@russellcrowe) June 23, 2015
I"m so sad to hear about James Horner..He scored the first movie I did..Star Trek 2...great composer..great person...huge loss
— Kirstie Alley (@kirstiealley) June 23, 2015
Feeling really sad today... one of the best composers of our time passed away.
— Danidem (@TheDanidem) June 23, 2015
Farewell, James Horner. Thanks for all the amazing music.
Devastating to hear of the death of composer James Horner, who worked with us just 2 months ago on #TitanicLive. pic.twitter.com/FboiVGKyvq
— Royal Albert Hall (@RoyalAlbertHall) June 23, 2015
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