Summary

• Goose's tragic death in the original Top Gun during a training mission was a huge blow not only to Maverick, but to the entire Top Gun program.
• The crash of the F-14 fighter was caused by the turbulence created when Maverick's plane got too close to Iceman, stalling one of his engines.
• While Maverick initially blamed himself for Goose's death, a trial determined that he was not at fault. He still felt responsible to Goose's family.

Top Gun's Maverick and Goose are among cinema's most iconic duos, with the two pilots becoming de facto blood brothers facing life-or-death situations. That takes a tragic turn when Goose is killed on a mission: a pop-culture moment still being talked about four decades later, and helps make the movie one of Tom Cruise's best action films. However, it hurts far worse with the appearance of his son in Top Gun: Maverick, and indeed, the events of Maverick reveal that Goose's death still haunts those close to him.

But how did Goose die in the original Top Gun, and who was at fault? The sequel touches on those specifics very briefly, but doesn't get into specifics: assuming (probably safely) that most of the audience had seen the first film before watching the second. Considering how important it is to Maverick's two main characters, it's well worth revisiting the specifics anytime fans want to look at the second film again.

Updated on February 27, 2024: With the immense success of 2022's Top Gun: Maverick, audiences are looking back on the original Top Gun with renewed interest. The film left many questions unanswered, with its legacy sequel doing little to fill in the gaps. Nevertheless, the two films may have left enough clues for audiences to guess what fate truly befell Anthony Edwards's Goose. Moreover, the death of Goose takes on new meaning, as his legacy continues to be carried on by his best friend and son in Top Gun: Maverick. The article has been expanded to talk more about the impact of Goose's death on his son Rooster, as well as being updated to conform to current CBR style guidelines.

What Happened to Goose in Top Gun?

Played by Anthony Edwards, Goose was Maverick's co-pilot for their F-14 fighter jet. That means he handled communications, navigation, and a number of other tasks while the pilot focused on flying. As the duo passed through trials to achieve the TOPGUN status, they were paired with Iceman to help take down enemy fighters for a combat simulation. But things quickly went wrong, ending in Goose's untimely death.

Top Gun pilots are said to be the best of the best, hand-picked by the U.S. Air Force to lead the most crucial and covert missions available. So when Goose died during a Top Gun training mission, it was not only a huge deal for Maverick, but also for the entire program as a whole. Losing a pilot during a mission is a sad but unfortunate reality of war, but to lose a world-class pilot during a training dogfight was unprecedented. Sadly, the filmmakers based the incident on the real-life case of Luis Claudio Jaramillo, who served as a RIO and was killed in an accident very similar to Goose's during the Top Gun program about a decade before the events of the film.

What Caused Goose's Plane to Crash?

As Iceman engaged in a dogfight over the Pacific Ocean, he was unable to get a successful lock-on with his weapons. Soon, Maverick and Goose joined the chase, tailing close behind Iceman to try to get a shot at the same target. But despite his unsuccessful aim, Iceman insisted on following the target, yelling that he'll have a lock-on within seconds. However, with time running out, Maverick grew impatient and tried targeting the enemy while flying right behind Iceman.

Each F-14 was about to fire on the enemy when it suddenly darted upward to break free. As Iceman followed suit, Maverick's F-14 sat too close behind and got caught up in the turbulence. It stalled one of his engines, causing it to burn out and stop functioning. But unfortunately, the problems didn't end there for the pilots, as they now only had one working engine. That caused the F-14's thrust to become uneven, resulting in a continuous spin as Goose and Maverick plummeted toward the ocean.

Why Did Maverick Blame Himself for Goose's Death?

Instead of attempting to regain control of the fighter, Goose and Maverick knew it was a lost cause and tried to eject. However, with the g-force pinning Maverick back, he couldn't reach the ejection cord, leaving Goose to pull his own. As the aircraft's cockpit canopy opened up, both Maverick and Goose got launched out of their seats. While Maverick safely made it into the air, Goose wasn't clear of the canopy and got sent headfirst into it. The impact of hitting the canopy likely caused his immediate death, as Goose was left to parachute down into the ocean below.

As for who was at fault for the horrifying death of Goose, that's more difficult to pinpoint. Maverick blamed himself, as he shouldn't have been as close as he was to Iceman. However, a trial soon determined that Maverick was not to blame for the accident, as he couldn't have possibly regained control of the jet. There's also the argument that Iceman was to blame because he knew Maverick was right behind him but refused to move and let him take the shot. In some ways, the intense competition between the two men is to blame, with both of them seeking the top slot among their graduating class without regard for the risks they're taking in the process. Either way, Maverick was later forced to face the consequences of Goose's death when he met his son, Rooster, in Top Gun: Maverick.

How Goose's Legacy Lives On In Top Gun: Maverick

One of Tom Cruise's highest-grossing films of all time, Top Gun: Maverick thrives on how tenderly it handles the legacy of its beloved characters. Although Goose himself does not appear in Maverick, his memory is strewn throughout the sequel, which does its best to help the late fighter pilot's legacy live on long after his death. The most prominent manner in which the sequel accomplishes this is by introducing Goose's adult son, Bradley Bradshaw, who is also known by his codename "Rooster." Portrayed by Miles Teller, Rooster is able to carry on his father's legacy, enrolling in the Top Gun program and becoming a skilled fighter pilot.

This comes despite Maverick's efforts to ensure he doesn't. As the movie reveals, Maverick promised Goose's widow Carole that Rooster wouldn't follow in his late father's footsteps, something Rooster actively resents. Though he's been dead for over 30 years, Goose still haunts both men, and his memory is now actively driving a wedge between them. The film underscores its action scenes with the pair of them slowly coming to grips with Goose's absence in their lives, and the ways that has damaged their own relationship. It gives both characters an emotional journey, and their ultimate reconciliation helps the various action sequences feel like more than empty spectacle.

Unlike many other recent legacy sequels, which fail to do justice to the characters of the original films, Top Gun: Maverick takes the time to honor characters like Maverick and Goose. The sequel challenges Maverick in his relationship with Rooster, who wants nothing to do with him. As his instructor, however, Maverick manages to win Rooster over and, in some small way, is able to get his old friend back. By repairing his relationship with Rooster, Maverick finally learns to forgive himself for Goose's death, which had haunted him for decades. Finally, Goose's legacy was allowed to live in peace, with his family and friends harboring only positive memories of the fallen pilot. Top Gun: Maverick helps lay out the legacy of Goose, even decades after his death in the original Top Gun. While the exact circumstances behind Goose's death may never be fully revealed, his tragic passing is a driving factor for the 2022 sequel, and a big reason for its phenomenal success.