History tragically repeats: the two Chuck Norris sequels that caused eight fatalities
Before he experienced an ironic second wind as the internet’s favoured source for ridiculous facts, Chuck Norris took himself very seriously as an action hero, even if his acting ability could very generously be described as limited at best.
With his fondness for double denim, bushy beard, stoic expression, and monotonous line delivery, he hardly stood out as an undeniable cinematic superstar, but the 1980s were a very strange time. Not that anyone would doubt his martial arts credentials, but if it wasn’t for the Reaganomics of the time dictating that leading men were better off as burly bulldozers, he may never have soared quite as high as he did.
His cultural peak came when Norris effectively became the face of B-tier merchant Cannon Films’ gun-toting output, which gave rise to Missing in Action, Invasion U.S.A., and The Delta Force launching his star to new heights. Two of those movies ended up getting multiple sequels, and the follow-ups ended up experiencing eerily coincidental tragedies.
Both 1988’s Braddock: Missing in Action III and Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection were sequels, Cannon productions, and directed by Norris’ younger brother Aaron. They each followed the leading man’s vengeful protagonist as he defies the orders of his superiors to undertake a mission carrying serious personal stakes, although that could admittedly be said about the majority of his output.
During the Philippines shoot for Missing in Action III, an Air Force helicopter crashed into Manila Bay on May 30th, 1987, and killed four Filipino soldiers who were on board, with another five left injured. Associate producer Mike Hartman sought to distance the film crew from any sort of responsibility or culpability, with his comments to the LA Times coming off as more than a little cold.
“People are very upset, but there is nothing you can do about it,” he said. “Decisions for shooting the film are left to the Ministry of Defence and the Air Force. They are responsible for the safety of the helicopter.” He was within his rights to state his position on the matter, but nobody could have been able to predict that a very similar incident would end up unfolding almost exactly two years later in the very same country.
On May 16th, 1989, when on location in the Philippines for Delta Force 2, another helicopter crash resulted in another four fatalities when electricians Don Marshall and Mike Graham, camera operator Gaddi Dansig, and pilot Jojo Imperial were killed when the vehicle plummeted into a 40-foot ravine.
The production ended up being suspended for six weeks before resuming and being finished, with the movie dedicated to the memory of those who died. It’s about as unfortunate as coincidences can get, with two helicopter accidents on two Chuck Norris sequels happening almost two years apart to the day in the exact same country, claiming eight lives.
