Dame Dash is again pointing to what he describes as Aaliyah’s hesitance to board a plane in 2001 that ultimately crashed, leading to her tragic death.
In remarks shared with Us Weekly, and published on the 25th anniversary of the fatal Cessna 402 crash, Dash, who was romantically involved with the “Try Again” artist, said she texted him prior to boarding to say “I don’t like the plane.” At the time, Aaliyah, 22, had just completed the shoot for “Rock the Boat,” with several flight issues later discovered in an investigation.
“I told her, ‘Don’t get on it,’” Dash recalled, echoing past remarks he’s made about his final communication with the five-time Grammy nominee. “However, she said she had to do it for the video. She knew the plane wasn’t right, and she was always scared of planes.”
Aaliyah’s hesitance toward flying extended beyond this particular flight, per Dash, who added that she typically traveled with a “good-luck pillow.”
In a previous interview with The Real back in 2016, Dash suggested things might have gone differently had he been with Aaliyah during the Bahamas trip, as he would have declined to board that particular plane.
“But, you know, everything happens for a reason,” he said at the time.
All told, nine people, including Aaliyah and the pilot, were killed in the 2001 crash. Findings from a subsequent investigation pointed to the aircraft having been loaded beyond its approved capacity, while the qualifications of the pilot, Luis Morales III, were also brought into question. A wrongful death lawsuit was later filed by Aaliyah’s family against Blackhawk, the operator of the flight.
