‘Titanic’ Composer James Horner Dies in Plane Crash, Hollywood Stunned by Tragedy

Oscar-winning composer James Horner, best known for scoring the movie “Titanic,” died in a plane crash Monday morning in Southern California, his assistant confirmed on Facebook.

"We have lost an amazing person with a huge heart and unbelievable talent," said Sylvia Patrycja in the message. "He died doing what he loved."

The crash happened around 9:30 a.m. on June 22 near Quatal Canyon in Los Padres National Forest, according to reports. Horner, 61, was piloting the plane. No one else was on board. The cause of the crash is not yet known.

Horner composed music for more than 75 films, making his feature film debut in 1982 with "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan."

He was nominated for ten Academy Awards, winning two for 1997's best picture, "Titanic.” Other nominated scores include "Alien," ''Apollo 13," “An American Tail,” “Avatar,” ''A Beautiful Mind," ''Braveheart," ''Field of Dreams" and ''House of Sand and Fog.”

Horner also won Grammys for "Somewhere Out There" from "An American Tail" in 1987 and "Glory" in 1990.

News of Horner's death hit Hollywood hard, including Celine Dion, who sang the “Titanic” hit “My Heart Will Go On,” Ron Howard who directed “A Beautiful Mind,” singer Josh Groban, actor Rob Lowe and several others took to social media to remember Horner.