# Why Don't Famous People Die in Plane Crashes Anymore? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 2, 2016, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-famous-people-die-in-plane-crashes-anymore/747696 "2016-03-02T01:34:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2016, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-famous-people-die-in-plane-crashes-anymore/747696/41 "2016-03-03T23:41:53Z")
Bahamian preacher [Myles Munroe](http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/prominent-preacher-myles-munroe-killed-small-plane-crash-bahamas-n244831) died in a plane crash recently. Wasn’t a big deal in most of the US but certainly was in the afro-caribbean community. ---
**Author:** ![Dervorin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Dervorin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dervorin)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2016, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-famous-people-die-in-plane-crashes-anymore/747696/42 "2016-03-04T17:38:49Z")
The ex (and disgraced) South African cricket player [Hansie Cronje](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hansie_Cronje#Death) died in a plane crash in 2002. Probably totally unknown in the US, though. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2016, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-famous-people-die-in-plane-crashes-anymore/747696/43 "2016-03-04T17:50:07Z")
Politicians have to be up in small planes all the time, and sometimes they die: [Plane crashes of major American political figures](http://www.airsafe.com/events/celebs/politics.htm) It happens overseas, too: [Candidate's sudden death in plane crash transforms Brazil race - CBS News](http://www.cbsnews.com/news/candidates-sudden-death-in-plane-crash-transforms-brazil-race/) ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2016, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-famous-people-die-in-plane-crashes-anymore/747696/44 "2016-03-04T17:58:55Z")
I’d say the trend for celebrities is either commercial or private plane with accomplished pilot. I think a lot of those early crashes were cheap-ass charter flights with some yahoo flying his self-maintained plane out of a corn/airfield. ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2016, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-famous-people-die-in-plane-crashes-anymore/747696/45 "2016-03-04T19:48:41Z")
> [@watchwolf49](#): > > Manfred von Richtofen, Roald Amundsen, Amelia Earhart, Joseph P. Kennedy, Vladimir Komarov … perhaps we just have fewer famous aviators now-a-days. > > Perhaps we have no famous aviators today _unless_ they die. I think the OP is not asking about famous aviators (ie., people who are famous for flying), but rather otherwise famous people who die flying. ---
**Author:** ![Hocus\_Pocus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/41988e/32.png) [@Hocus\_Pocus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hocus_Pocus)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2016, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-famous-people-die-in-plane-crashes-anymore/747696/46 "2016-03-04T20:03:48Z")
> [@Kevbo](#): > > Cite: [AskTog: John Denver: When Interfaces Kill](http://www.asktog.com/columns/027InterfacesThatKill.html) > > To call this a design flaw suggests that it was the fault of Burt Rutan, the plane’s designer. > In fact the flaw you are referring to is a departure from Rutan’s design. The original design did route fuel lines through the passenger compartment, which was part of the rational for the change. It’s also interesting to note that Denver’s pilot license was revoked at the time of the accident for failing to maintain sobriety (a requirement resulting from multiple DUI convictions, although alcohol was not found in his system during his autopsy). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-famous-people-die-in-plane-crashes-anymore/747696.md?page=2)