Death of Ricky Nelson

An attempted crash landing of his band's aircraft resulted in the death of Ricky Nelson on December 31, 1985. The aircraft, a Douglas DC-3, was brought down mid-flight outside De Kalb, Texas, by a fire that rapidly spread from a suspected faulty in-cabin heater. American pop singer Ricky Nelson and six others—including several band members and his girlfriend—were killed in the accident. Both pilots survived.

Death of Ricky Nelson

An attempted crash landing of his band's aircraft resulted in the death of Ricky Nelson on December 31, 1985. The aircraft, a Douglas DC-3, was brought down mid-flight outside De Kalb, Texas, by a fire that rapidly spread from a suspected faulty in-cabin heater. American pop singer Ricky Nelson and six others—including several band members and his girlfriend—were killed in the accident. Both pilots survived.