Titanic director killed in California air crash

Oscar winner James Horner has been killed after crashing his single-engine plane in Southern California Monday morning.

Ventura County fire spokesman Mike Lindbery said the crash happened around 9:30am in the Los Padres National Forest, with the Federal Aviation Administration adding that the plane was an S-312 Tucano MK1 turbo-prop with two seats and that the debris was spread across an acre of land, reports the Daily Mail.

Crews extinguished a fire that erupted in vegetation as a result of the fact that the plane became engulfed in flames upon impact, about 100 miles northwest of Los Angeles.

Horner, a husband and father of two, was later confirmed dead by an employee.

Horner's assistant, Sylvia Patrycja, confirmed that it was the beloved composer who died in the tragic accident.

“We have lost an amazing person with a huge heart, and unbelievable talent,' Patrycja wrote on Facebook.

“He died doing what he loved. Thank you for all your support and love and see you down the road.”

Jay Cooper, an attorney for Horner, said the plane was one of several owned by the 61-year-old composer. 

Horner’s representatives have not commented on the issue.

Horner, 61, took home two Oscars for his work on the 1997 film Titanic, for both his work on the score and writing the hugely popular theme song to the film My heart Will Go On, which was sung by Celine Dion.

He also won two Grammys and two Golden Globes for his work on that film.
Horner frequently collaborated with Titanic director James Cameron, also working with him on Avatar and Aliens.

He was currently at work on the score to the two sequels that have been planned to Avatar.
His next film to be released will be Southpaw, the boxing drama starring Jake Gyllenhall and Rachel McAdams.

He also has The 33, a film based on the 2010 mining disaster in Chile, that will be in theaters in November.

Other Horner masterpieces include the scores to Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, Willow and The Missing, all films by Ron Howard.

He also worked on Braveheart, Field of Dreams, Glory, An American Tale, Legends of the Fall and Troy.

He was nominated for 10 Oscars over the course of his career and won six Grammys out of 13 nominations.