10 More Movies Where People Died On Set

3. The Flight Of The Phoenix

As stated previously, the lead stunt pilot from Hell's Angels was Paul Mantz and this 1965 film is dedicated to his memory as he died during filming.

Based on the Elleston Trevor novel, the story centres around a group of men who are forced to crash land the aircraft they are on in the middle of the desert, miles away from civilisation. After futile attempts at finding water and help, they attempt to use the wreckage to rebuild a functional plane which they dub "The Phoenix", like the mythical bird that rises from the ashes.

Eventually, the poorly-constructed Frankenstein of an aircraft manages to take off and the surviving men fly to civilisation and safety. This reconstructed Phoenix is where the accident happened that cost Mantz his life.

By this point in his career, Mantz was highly respected in many circles - stunt flying, general aviation, plane collecting - and his prowess in the air was second to none. For one of the final shots, they wanted to film a number of bumpy take-offs and hard landings.

On one of these landings, the fuselage entirely buckled and Mantz was killed. The second man flying with him was thrown clear and severely injured, although he survived.