Titanic Composer James Horner Dies in California Plane Crash

Hollywood composer James Horner known for his scores in films like Braveheart, Titanic, A Beautiful Mind and Field of Dreams, died in a plane crash in Southern California.

The 61 year old composer's assistant confirmed the news of his death on Facebook on Monday.

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

The composer was said to be piloting a small aircraft, which crashed in a remote area 60 miles north of Santa Barbara.

Hollywood stars like Russell Crowe, Ron Howard and Kirstie Alley took to Twitter to pay their tribute to the composer. Director Ron Howard tweeted, "Brilliant Composer James Horner, friend & collaborator on 7 movies has tragically died in a plane crash. My heart aches for his loved ones."

Horner enjoyed a great working relationship with director James Cameron, winning two Oscars for his score in the film 'Titanic' and the hit song "My Heart Will Go On'.

"My job - and it's something I discuss with Jim all the time - is to make sure at every turn of the film it's something the audience can feel with their heart," Horner said in a 2009 interview with the Los Angeles Times. "When we lose a character, when somebody wins, when somebody loses, when someone disappears - at all times I'm keeping track, constantly, of what the heart is supposed to be feeling. That is my primary role."

The soundtrack of the movie went on to sell a whopping 27 million copies worldwide.

Over the years Horner composed background scores for a number of films. His film credits include Glory, Troy, The Amazing Spider Man, Patriot Games, Red Heat, Star Trek II, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Jumanji, Apollo 13, Wolfen and the Lady in Red and the Karate Kid.