Beyond ‘Rust’: A Comprehensive List Of On-Set Deaths During Movie Shoots
In 2024, after a judge dropped involuntary manslaughter charges against actor Alec Baldwin for the 2021 on-set shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins while filming Rust in New Mexico, it revived public discussion about safety on film sets.
While there has never been an intentional murder recorded during the production of a feature-length movie, dozens of people have died over the years due to negligence or circumstances.
Here is a list, organized by cause of death, of documented fatalities that occurred during filming. A film’s official release date is shown in parentheses after its title. The on-set death related to filming may have happened years before the film’s official release date. (TV movies are included, but not episodic TV dramas. Those will be covered in a subsequent article.)
Accidental Shootings
Rust (2024) – In what is easily the most famous recent case, cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot on the New Mexico set of the Western film Rust when a prop gun discharged in the hands of actor and producer Alec Baldwin. The incident also wounded director Joel Souza.
The Crow (1994) – Brandon Lee, son of martial arts legend Bruce Lee, was shot to death on March 31, 1993, during the filming of The Crow in Wilmington, NC. The 28-year-old actor was struck by a projectile from a prop gun during a scene where his character was supposed to be shot. Actor Michael Massee fired the prop gun at Lee from about 15 feet. The weapon had been improperly prepared—a dummy cartridge from an earlier scene had left a bullet lodged in the barrel, and when a blank cartridge was later fired, it propelled the bullet with lethal force. Lee was rushed to the hospital but died during surgery from his wounds.
The Captive (1915) – In this Cecil B. DeMille epic, an extra had accidentally left a live round in his rifle instead of a blank, shooting another extra in the head and killing him.
Helicopter Disasters
The Final Season (2007) – Cinematographer Roland Schlotzhauer died after the helicopter he was in hit power lines and crashed into a field.
Braddock: Missing in Action III (1988) – In this Chuck Norris action film shot in the Philippines, a helicopter crashed into Manila Bay, killing four Filipino soldiers who had been hired as extras. The tragedy occurred the same day an L.A. court rendered a “not guilty” verdict on manslaughter charges for the deadly Twilight Zone: The Movie helicopter accident.
Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection (1990) – In another Chuck Norris action film shot in the Philippines, five people—the pilot, an actor, a cameraman, a key grip, and a gaffer—died when their helicopter crashed.
Vendetta dal futuro (Hands of Steel, 1986) – Actor Claudio Cassinelli and pilot Dan Nasca died during the filming of this sci-fi action movie when the pilot unsuccessfully tried to fly his chopper beneath the Navajo Bridge in Arizona.
Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983) –Veteran actor Vic Morrow and two child actors, 7-year-old Myca Dinh Le and 6-year-old Renee Shin-Yi Chen, were killed after a helicopter crashed during a night shoot in California. The aircraft lost control and crashed, with its main rotor blade decapitating Morrow and one of the children, while the aircraft’s body crushed the other child. The incident led to the first homicide trial of a film director in history, with director John Landis and four others charged with involuntary manslaughter. All defendants were acquitted in 1987.
Kolilakkam (Shockwave, 1980) – Indian actor Jayan was killed while attempting a stunt where he tried to board a helicopter in flight.
Golden Eagle (1970) – While shooting a scene in an action film that required him to grab a rope ladder and climb into a helicopter, Thai star Mitr Chaibancha fell to his death.
Zeppelin (1970) – After a helicopter and a biplane collided while filming over the Irish Sea, both pilots, cameraman Skeets Kelly, and assistant director Burch Williams all died.
Plane Crashes
American Made (2017) – Pilots Alan D. Purwin and Carlos Berl died when their plane crashed during filming of this Tom Cruise action comedy in Colombia.
Top Gun (1986) – Art Scholl was forever lost to the ocean after losing control of his plane during a “flat spin” scene. Ironically and morbidly, the exact type of spin killed the character Goose (Anthony Edwards) in the movie. Top Gun’s closing credits say, “This film is dedicated to the memory of Art Scholl.”
The Red Baron(1971) – In this tribute to legendary World War I German pilot Manfred von Richthofen, stunt pilot Charles Boddington died when his biplane crashed at an airport near Dublin.
Catch-22 (1970) – Second-unit director John Jordan, a daredevil who refused to wear a safety harness while filming a bombing scene, died after falling out of a B-25 Mitchell.
Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) – In this retelling of Japan’s sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, pilot Guy Thomas Strong died after his plane crashed in a sugar-cane field in Oahu.
Les grandes vacances (The Summer Holidays, 1967) – In this French action comedy, Jean Falloux, a stuntman who had previously held the French Air Force’s record for flying upside down, crashed and died while he tried to land his plane on a speeding car.
The Flight of the Phoenix (1965) – Aviator Paul Mantz, filling in for his injured friend, crashed and died during a touch-and-go landing while filming.
Hell’s Angels (1930) – Three pilots died while filming this pre-code epic war film, which some consider the first action film. Producer Howard Hughes sustained severe facial injuries when he attempted a stunt that professional stuntmen told him couldn’t be done.
Such Men Are Dangerous (1930) – Due to an in-air collision between two camera planes off the Southern California coast, all 10 men aboard the planes died. The fatalities included director Kenneth Hawks and Director of Photography George Eastman.
The Skywayman (1920) – While filming scenes at night at an airfield in Los Angeles, two pilots died when their planes crashed into each other.
Car and Truck Crashes
The Dark Knight (2008) – While filming this Christopher Nolan-directed Batman epic from a pickup truck, cinematographer Conway Wickliffe died after an accident caused his head to get pinned between a tree and the truck.
Exit Wounds (2001) – Stuntman Chris Lamon died from head injuries after trying to roll out of a van being towed upside down during a chase scene in Ontario.
Taxi 2 (2000) – Cinematographer Alain Dutartre died from internal injuries after a stunt car hit him instead of landing in a pile of cardboard as planned.
Proof of Life (2000) – Stand-in Will Gaffney, while riding in a truck during a scene filmed in Ecuador, perished after the truck accidentally went over a cliff.
The Wraith (1986) – After a camera car filming a chase scene crashed on a mountain road in Arizona, crew members were thrown in different directions. Cameraman Bruce Ingram was killed, and seven others were injured.
Midnite Spares (1983) – While shooting a race scene at a track in Australia, a sprint car lost control and crashed into focus-puller David Brostoff. The impact was so intense that it propelled his body through two fences, resulting in his death.
The Five of Me (1981) – A driverless stunt car fatally hit camera assistant Jack Tandberg during filming.
Joyride (1977) – While leaning out of a car window to get a good camera angle during a chase scene, cinematographer Charles A. Parkinson, Jr. died after his car accidentally flipped over.
Le Saint prend l’affût (The Saint Lies in Wait, 1966) – Renowned French stunt driver Gil Delamare died from head injuries after the back axle of his Renault Convertible broke off during a scene shot at dusk.
Motorcycle Crashes
Deadpool 2 (2018) – Stuntwoman Joi “SJ” Harris, doubling for Zazie Beetz during a motorcycle chase scene in Vancouver, lost control of her bike and crashed into a glass window, resulting in her death.
Million Dollar Mystery (1987) – Dar “The World’s Greatest Stuntman” Robinson had never broken a bone during his 13-year career in Hollywood. Then, in November 1986 at Glen Canyon in Utah, after filming a stunt and the medical crew had gone home, he accidentally drove his motorcycle off a cliff. He died from injuries after being impaled on a tree branch.
Random Crashes
Midnight Rider: The Gregg Allman Story (2014, unfinished). During a scene on a hospital bed atop a railroad trestle near Savannah, GA, a freight train struck and killed camera assistant Sarah Jones. The railroad company later confirmed that the crew did not have permission to film on its property, which led to an activist movement called Safety for Sarah that advocated for increased security at filming locations.
xXx (2002) –Harry L. O’Connor, Vin Diesel’s stunt double, wasn’t satisfied with his first take during a scene where he rappelled down a parasailing line in Prague and landed on a submarine. While filming the scene a second time, he accidentally crashed into a bridge, killing him instantly.
Gone Fishin’ (1997) – A stuntwoman was killed and four others injured when a speedboat accidentally landed in a crowd of extras.
For Your Eyes Only (1981) – During a bobsled chase in this James Bond thriller, sled driver Paolo Rigon’s sled flipped over, trapping him underneath. He was killed almost instantly.
Ben-Hur (1925) – An unidentified stuntman died at the Circus Maximus in Rome after a wheel on his chariot broke while filming this silent epic’s chariot race.
Death By Fire
Motherless Brooklyn (2019) – New York City firefighter Michael Davidson died after a fire broke out on a film set in Harlem.
Red Cliff (2008/2009) – Stuntman Lu Yanqing died after a fire got out of control on a small boat. Six others were injured.
Flower on the Stone (1962) – On July 30, 1960, while filming in a burning barracks, Soviet actress Inna Burduchenko, who was three months pregnant, sustained third-degree burns. She passed away two weeks later in the hospital.
The Warrens of Virginia (1924) – Actress Martha Mansfield died from severe burns the day after a cast member threw a lit match at her, igniting her frilly Civil War costume.
Death By Drowning
Maasthi Gudi (2016) – After making a 60-foot jump from a helicopter into a reservoir near Bangalore in what was supposed to be the climactic scene of this action film, actors Raghava Uday and Anil Kumar drowned when a rescue motorboat failed to start.
Skiptrace (2016) – Cameraman Chan Kwok-Hung drowned when his motorized sampan capsized.
The Lone Ranger (2013) – Crew member Michael Bridger drowned while cleaning a 24-foot-deep water tank for an upcoming underwater scene.
CrossBones (2004) – After their Cessna plane crashed near the remote Dry Tortugas, about 70 miles from Key West in the Gulf of Mexico, the pilot, director, and two other crew members survived. But cameraman Neal Fredericks, unable to free himself from his harness, drowned.
The Squeeze (1987) – In this action comedy starring Michael Keaton and Rae Dawn Chong, stuntman Victor Magnotta drove his car off a pier in Hoboken, NJ, landing in the Hudson River. That was all scripted. However, he ended up being trapped in the car and couldn’t escape before drowning.
Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) – In Acapulco, Mexico, veteran special-effects artist Clifford Wenger, Jr. lost his footing during a staged explosion and fell into the water. Before a film crew could rescue him, he drowned after being underwater for more than five minutes.
Race for the Yankee Zephyr (1981) – While taking a jetboat for a practice run on New Zealand’s Kawarau River, crew member Bill Clarke drowned after his boat capsized.
Hi-Riders (1977): During the production of this late-70s action film at the Paramount Ranch, stuntman Vic Rivers drove his Ford truck off a bridge and into a river. He drowned before he could be rescued.
Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N. (1966) – A giant wave struck cinematographer Robert King Baggot while he was filming off the coast of Kauai, knocking him into the sea and causing his death.
Le Judoka Agent Secret (Judoka-Secret Agent, 1966) – Actress Patricia Viterbo, who could not swim, accidentally backed her car into the River Seine and drowned.
The War Lover (1962) – While shooting aerial scenes for this World War II action film, several parachutists jumped from a Boeing B-17 flying over the English Channel. Mike Reilly, a stuntman standing in for actor Robert Wagner, drowned at sea.
Noah’s Ark (1928) – Three extras drowned during a recreation of the biblical “Great Flood” that involved the release of 600,000 gallons of water.
Across the Border (1914) – In this early silent Western short film, actress Grace McHugh and cameraman Owen Carter drowned in quicksand after mistaking it for a sandbar in the Arkansas River.
Death Via Horseback
Comes a Horseman (1978) – While shooting a scene where a horse simulates dragging lead actor Jason Robards to his death, stunt double Jim Sheppard was dragged off-course by the stunt horse. Sheppard’s head slammed into a fencepost, killing him.
The Horse Soldiers (1959) – Stuntman and character actor Fred Kennedy died after falling off a horse while on location in Louisiana.
The Royal Mounted Rides Again (1945) – Veteran actor Jack Randall died from injuries sustained after falling off a horse during filming.
They Died with Their Boots On (1941) – Three horsemen died while filming a cavalry charge scene. While riding alongside superstar Errol Flynn, extra Jack Budlong’s horse tripped. Trying to avoid being impaled, he threw his sword ahead. Unfortunately, it was stuck in the ground, handle down, and he was impaled on it. One of the other two fatalities reportedly died after getting drunk during lunch and then falling off his horse.
The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936) – In a death eerily similar to Jack Budlong’s, a stuntman died after falling off his horse and being impaled on a broken sword lying on the battlefield.
Crushed By Props And Film Equipment
Indian 2 (2024) – Three crew members died and 10 more were injured after a crane carrying a film light fell on them.
Blade Runner 2049 (2017) – A construction worker died while disassembling a film set at a studio in Budapest.
Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2016) – A Hummer H1 slid off a platform that crew member Ricardo Cornelius had been operating. It killed him almost instantly.
Silence (2016) – Three construction workers who were reinforcing a brick-and-wood house on a set in Taiwan were rushed to the hospital after the house collapsed. One worker was pronounced dead, while the other two sustained injuries.
G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013) – While striking a set, crew member Mike Huber was crushed under a scissor lift that tipped over.
Jumper (2008) – Set dresser David Ritchie died after being crushed under frozen sand and earth that fell from an exterior set.
Con Air (1997) – A welder was killed when a model of the C-123 airplane used in the movie fell on him.
The Bodyguard (1992) – A crew member was crushed to death between two lighting cranes.
Gone in 60 Seconds 2 (1989, unreleased) – While filming in Buffalo, NY, a scene with a falling water tower was being prepared. Unexpectedly, the tower collapsed early, hitting a telephone pole that struck director and actor H. B. Halicki, causing his death.
Superman (1978) – A wing of an Air Force One replica plane broke off and fell on metal worker and stuntman Terry Hill, killing him.
Explosions
The Expendables 2 (2012) – Stuntman Kun Liu died after a staged explosion on a rubber boat.
The Road Back(1937) – In this World War I historical drama, ex-Marine George Daly died in a stunt explosion while filming the opening scenes.
The Viking (1931) – After filming in Canada, producer Varick Frissell decided he needed more footage of the Labrador ice floes. When their ship got trapped in ice, an accidental dynamite explosion onboard killed 27 men, including Frissell.
Heart Attacks
The Return of the Musketeers (1989) – After enduring a broken pelvis while filming a horseback-riding scene, British actor Roy Kinnear died of a heart attack the next day.
Red Heat (1988) – Director Bennie Dobbins died of a heart attack after installing fan heaters in the snow to film a fight scene between Arnold Schwarzenegger and another actor.
There Is Such a Lad (1964) – During the filming of this Russian romantic comedy, actor Boris Balakin, who was suffering from a fever, had a fatal heart attack after trying to stand.
Solomon and Sheba (1958) – Chain-smoking Hollywood star Tyrone Power suffered a heart attack while filming a scene in Spain where he dueled with his co-star George Sanders. He died en route to the hospital.
Natural Disasters
The Messenger (2002, unreleased). After finishing the second day of filming, a large rock and ice slide killed Russian actor and director Sergei Bodrov Jr. An estimated 120 others died in the avalanche, including anywhere from 27 to 42 additional film crew members.
The Eiger Sanction (1975) – During the filming of this accident-laden Clint Eastwood vehicle about a mountain climber, 27-year-old British climber David Knowles was struck and killed by a rock that broke loose from the mountain.
Fatal Falls
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019) – While filming on location in Mt. Lebanon, PA, for this biography of Fred “Mister” Rogers, soundman James Emswiller suffered a heart attack and fell from a balcony in an apartment building. He died about an hour later at the hospital. (A coroner ruled that his death was caused by blunt-impact injuries to the head, which is why this is classified as a fatal fall rather than a heart attack.)
Bikini Island (1991) – Stuntman Jay C. Curran fell off a 55-foot cliff but missed the airbag and landed on jagged rocks instead.
Vampire in Brooklyn (1995) – During a 42-foot backward fall, Sonja Davis, who was Angela Bassett’s stunt double, successfully landed on the airbag but later died from multiple injuries. Her family ultimately filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against Paramount Pictures.
The Right Stuff (1983) – In this adaptation of Tom Wolfe’s novel, stuntman Joseph Leonard Svec fell to his death after losing consciousness during a parachute jump and failing to open his chute.
The Sword and the Sorcerer (1981) – Stuntman Jack Tyree, wearing makeup and a heavy costume, missed his airbag and died after falling 78 feet in LA’s Griffith Park.
Steel (1979) – Stuntman A.J. Bakunas had already completed a successful fall from the ninth floor of a construction site in Lexington, KY. But when he heard that another stuntman had recently broken his record high fall as part of a publicity stunt, Bakunas climbed to the top of the 300-foot construction site and tried to reclaim his record. He fell directly onto the airbag, but it split from the impact. It would be the last fall he ever took.
The Bell from Hell (1973) – Director Claudio Guerrin Hill named this movie after a bell tower built on the film set. On the final day of filming, he fell to his death from the bell tower. Some speculate that rather than falling accidentally, Hill intentionally jumped to his death.
