Oscar-Winning Composer For 'Titanic' Involved In Southern California Accident

Composer James Horner, who won two Oscar awards for his work on James Cameron's "Titanic", was fatally injured Monday morning when the S312 Tucano MK1 airplane he was flying went down in Ventura County in Southern California. Horner was 61.

The accident occurred at about 9:30 Monday morning local time in the Los Padres National Forest, according to Ventura County fire spokesperson Mike Lindbery. Multiple media sources report that Horner was flying the two-place turboprop airplane solo when it went down.

The accident was confirmed on Facebook by Horner's assistant Sylvia Wells, who wrote "A great tragedy has struck my family today, and I will not be around for a while. I would like some privacy and time to heal. We have lost an amazing person with a huge heart, and unbelievable talent. He died doing what he loved."

The debris from Horner's airplane was scattered over about an acre of land and sparked a small brush fire, according to the U.K. newspaper The Daily Mail.

The Tucano was one of several owned by Horner, who was described by friends as an avid aviator. He worked on such films as "Apollo 13", and scored the 2015 documentary "Living in the Age of Airplanes". 

Horner is survived by his wife Sara and two daughters.

(Image from file. Not accident airplane)

FMI: www.ntsb.gov