'Titanic' Composer James Horner Dies In Plane Crash

James Horner, the prolific film composer known for his heart-tugging scores for Field Of Dreams, Braveheart and Titanic, for which he won two Academy Awards, died Monday in a plane crash near Santa Barbara. He was 61.

His death was confirmed by Sylvia Patrycja, who is identified on Horner's film music page as his assistant.

"We have lost an amazing person with a huge heart and unbelievable talent," Patrycja wrote on Facebook on Monday. "He died doing what he loved. Thank you for all your support and love and see you down the road."

Horner was piloting the small aircraft when it crashed into a remote area about 60 miles north of Santa Barbara as per reports. An earlier report noted that the plane, which was registered to the composer, had gone down, but the pilot had not been identified.

The circumstances surrounding the crash are currently still being investigated.

Horner, one of Hollywood's most well-known composers, wrote scores for an eclectic mix of over 100 films throughout his career, including Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Braveheart, Commando, Field Of Dreams, The Land Before Time, Jumanji, Apollo 13, Casper, The Amazing Spider-Man, and many, many more.

He picked up the first of his 10 Oscar nominations for his work on Aliens and also has the distinction of being the composer for the two highest-grossing films in history: Avatar and Titanic, the latter of which remains the highest-selling primarily orchestral soundtrack ever. Horner won two Academy Awards on the back of Titanic; one for Best Original Dramatic Score and the other for Best Original Song (for Titanic's "My Heart Will Go On").

RIP James - your melodies live on forever.