North Central United States
Pennsylvania, Ohio & Illinois
Allentown, Pennsylvania
A small plane crashed into a mansion and burst into flames yesterday, killing the lead guitarist of the Ozzy Osbourne rock group and two other people, police said. The plane twice buzzed the house, where the rock group was staying, and on a third pass clipped the rock group’s tour bus and a tree, then slammed into the two-story colonial home, officials said. Killed were guitarist Randall Rhoads, 25, pilot Andrew Aycock, 36, and Rachel Youngblood, 58, the group’s makeup artist and hairdresser, said Lake County Deputy Sheriff Mike Smalt. All were aboard the plane. Osbourne - known for such stage antics as biting off the head of a live bat - was in the bus but was not hurt, Smalt said. Several other group members escaped unhurt from the mansion before it was gutted by flaming gasoline that spewed from the Beechcraft Bonanza, officials said. Rhoads and Ms. Youngblood were from Los Angeles, Smalt said. He said Aycock lived at Flying Baron Estates, the wealthy, private airport community about three miles east of Leesburg where the crash occurred. The group was staying at the mansion before a concert scheduled for Orlando on Saturday. Members of the group quickly left the crash site and it was not known whether they would perform. Jack Barker, Atlanta regional spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration, said the FAA flew an investigator to the scene yesterday. He said the National Transportation Safety Board would also investigate. The bus - outfitted with plush chairs, video games and a stereo system - was punctured by the wing of the aircraft.
Greensburg, Pennsylvania
A small plane crashed into a mansion and burst into flames Friday, killing the lead guitarist of the Ozzy Osbourne rock group and two other people, police said. The plane twice buzzed the house, where the rock group was staying, and on a third pass clipped the rock group's tour bus and a tree, then slammed into the two-story colonial home, officials said. Killed were guitarist Randall Rhoads, 25, pilot Andrew Aycock, 36, and Rachel Youngblood, 58, the group's makeup artist and hairdresser, said Lake County Deputy Sheriff Mike Smalt. All were aboard the plane.
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
The lead guitarist of the rock group headed by Ozzy Osbourne and two others were killed Friday when a plane in which they were buzzing a mansion clipped a van and a tree and crashed into the house in flames, deputies said. Randall Rhoads, 25, the guitarist, Andrew Aycock, 36, identified as the plane's pilot; and Rachel Youngblood, 58, were killed in the 10:30 a.m. crash, said Lake County Deputy Sheriff Mike Smalt. Osbourne, known for his outrageous stage antics - such as biting off the head of a live bat - was in the van when one of the plane's wings clipped it, but escaped injury, Smalt said. Several other members of the group were in the two-story Colonial house, but fled before the structure was gutted by flaming gasoline. Rhoads, and Youngblood, the group's hairdresser and makeup artist, were from Los Angeles, Smalt said. He said Aycock lived at Flying Baron Estates, the private airport community where the crash occurred. The group was staying at the mansion before a concert in Leesburg on Friday. Jack Barker, Atlanta regional spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration, said the aircraft was a Beechcraft Bonanza. He said the FAA flew an investigator to the scene.
McKeesport, Pennsylvania
Three members of rock entertainer Ozzy Osbourne's your group went joy riding in a light plane Friday and were killed when the craft crashed into a bus where Osbourne was sleeping and then into a house. Osbourne and two other members of his group, also sleeping in the bus when the single-engine Apache's wing ripped through it, escaped injury. Two other members of the entourage standing near the bus taking pictures of the plane as it buzzed the Red Baron Airport also escaped injury. Osbourne and the other survivors went into seclusion at a motel and declined to talk to reporters. Authorities identified the victims as Randy Rhoads, 25 a guitarist; Rachel Youngblood, 58, the groups hairdresser and general aide; and tour bus driver Andy Aycock, 36, who was flying the plane. Gail Roberts of LosAngeles, who represents the group, said he was told the tour bus was headed for Orlando when Aycock, a licensed pilot who owns land in the area, decided to take a spin. He first took two members of the group for a ride, then landed and picked up Rhoads and Ms. Youngblood. "The aircraft circled the airport three times, coming down and buzzing the field each time," said Lake County Sheriff's Capt. Jim Brown. "The third time it struck a large bus, spun off through a tree, pinwheeled over upside-down into a house and exploded into flames." Brown said the portion of the house struck by the plane was gutted by fire in the accident which occurred at about 10 a.m. Jesse Herndon, 70, was in the house at the time of the crash but was not hurt. Witnesses said the group had been on an all night trip from Knoxville, Tenn. and were on their way to Orlando, about 40 miles away. They were scheduled to appear at 11 a.m. Saturday in the Tangerine Bowl at a concert called "Rock Super Bowl XIV.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
A light plane taken for a joyride by three members of rock star Ozzy Osbourne's entourage yesterday crashed into a bus where Osbourne was sleeping and then into a house. All three people aboard the plane were killed. Osbourne and two other members of the group were sleeping in the bus when the single-engine Apache's wing ripped through it, none of them was injured. Osbourne and the other survivors immediately went into seclusion at a motel and declined to talk to reporters. Killed were Randall Rhoads, 25, Rachel Youngblood, 58, the group's hairdresser and general aide; and tour bus driver Andy Aycock, 36, who was flying the plane. Gail Roberts of Los Angeles, who represents the group, said he was told the tour bus was heading for Orlando when Aycock, a licensed pilot who owns land in the area, decided to take a spin. He first took two members of the group for a ride, then landed and picked up Rhoads and Ms. Youngblood. Lake County Sheriff's Captain Jim Brown said: "The aircraft circled the airport three times, coming down and buzzing the field each time. The third time it struck a large bus, spun off through a tree, pinwheeled over upside-down into a house and exploded into flames." Brown said part of the house was gutted by fire. Jesse Herndon, 70, was in the house at the time of the crash but was not hurt. Witnesses said the group had been on an all night trip from Knoxville, Tenn., and were on their way to Orlando, about 40 miles away, where they were to appear at 11 this morning in the Tangerine Bowl at a concert called "Rock Super Bowl XIV." Osbourne, a punk-type rock performer who in publicity statements threatens to torture animals on stage, appeared most recently in the news when he reportedly bit off a bat's head on stage, and later recieved rabies shots.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
A small plane crashed into a mansion and burst into flames yesterday, killing the lead guitarist of the Ozzy Osbourne rock group and two other people, police said. The plane twice buzzed the house, where the rock group was staying, and on a third pass clipped the rock group’s tour bus and a tree, then slammed into the two-story colonial home, officials said. Killed were guitarist Randall Rhoads, 25, pilot Andrew Aycock, 36, and Rachel Youngblood, 58, the group’s makeup artist and hairdresser, said Lake County Deputy Sheriff Mike Smalt. All were aboard the plane. Osbourne - known for such stage antics as biting off the head of a live bat - was in the bus but was not hurt, Smalt said. Several other group members escaped unhurt from the mansion before it was gutted by flaming gasoline that spewed from the Beechcraft Bonanza, officials said. Smalt said Aycock lived at Flying Baron Estates, the wealthy, private airport community about three miles east of Leesburg where the crash occurred. The group was staying at the mansion before a concert scheduled for Orlando on Saturday. Members of the group quickly left the crash site and it was not known whether they would perform.
Chicago, Illinois
The lead guitarist of the Ozzy Osbourne rock group and two members of the entourage died Friday when a single-engine plane on a joy ride clipped the band’s tour bus, struck a tree and crashed into a two-story house. Authorities said the plane was buzzing the bus when it dipped a wing into the side of the parked bus before smashing to the ground in flames. Osbourne, scheduled to appear Saturday at the Rock Superbowl XIV in Orlando, was sleeping in the bus with two other members of the band when the plane fell. He was not injured. Killed were the three persons aboard the plane: guitarist Randy Rhoads, 25; Andrew Aycock, 36, the pilot and bus driver for the band; and Rachel Youngblood, 58, a makeup and wardrobe assistant, Sheriff's officials said. Sheriff's Captain Jim Brown said the victims had decided to go for a ride after they arrived in Leesburg by bus. Witnesses said the Beechcraft Bonanza, flew three circles around the area, dipping below tree-top level, and then came in close over the bus, which was parked outside a white house owned by Jerry Calhoun. Two other members of the entourage were standing nearby, taking pictures of the airplane. "The left wing of the plane struck the right side of the bus on the fourth flyby. The plane crashed into a pine tree by the house and (then) crashed into the building," said sheriff’s investigator Mike Whitaker. The three band members on the bus "thought they had been involved in a traffic accident," he said. "I was going for a nice peaceful ride on my horse and I kept hearing this plane," said Marylee Morrison, who lives nearby. "It was flying so low that when it passed over me, I could see the interior of it." The home was occupied by Jesse Herndon, 70, who escaped uninjured. Neighbors said the owner, Calhoun, in the past had recorded Country and Western music in Nashville and leased tour buses to music groups.
Cleveland, Ohio
A small plane crashed into a mansion and burst into flames yesterday, killing the lead guitarist of the Ozzy Osbourne rock group and two other people, police said. The plane twice buzzed the house, where the rock group was staying, and on a third pass clipped the rock group’s tour bus and a tree, then slammed into the two-story colonial home, officials said. Killed were guitarist Randall Rhoads, 25, pilot Andrew Aycock, 36, and Rachel Youngblood, 58, the group’s makeup artist and hairdresser, said Lake County Deputy Sheriff Mike Smalt. All were aboard the plane. Osbourne - known for such stage antics as biting off the head of a live bat - was in the bus but was not hurt, Smalt said. Several other group members escaped unhurt from the mansion before it was gutted by flaming gasoline that spewed from the Beechcraft Bonanza. The group was staying at the mansion before a concert scheduled for Orlando on today. Members of the group quickly left the crash site and it was not known whether they would perform.
The Day The Music Died - Index