She came home and co-wrote a book about the trip with her father, called “Journey to the Soviet Union.” She kept speaking publicly about peace, kept getting invited to talk shows, even invited to Japan to speak at the Children’s International Symposium for the 21st Century in Kobe. She remained exactly what she'd always been: a kid who'd asked one honest question and refused to let it go unanswered. By 1985 her fame even landed her guest spots on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, Nightline with Ted Koppel and a few acting roles, most notably co-starring opposite Robert Wagner in the TV drama series Lime Street, appearing in six episodes. Then, on August 25, 1985, tragedy struck. After a trip to London, England to film an episode of Lime Street, Samantha and her father were on the last leg of their journey home as the plane prepared to land at the small regional airport in Auburn-Lewiston, Maine. The aircraft’s approach was too low and too fast in the fog and light rain. As it clipped some poplar trees, just under a mile short of the runway, it hit the ground, nearly upside down, and finally came to a halt in a ravine. All eight people on board - six passengers and two crew members - were killed, including Samantha and her father. Samantha Smith was just 13 years old. About 1,000 people attended Smith's funeral at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Augusta, Maine. She was eulogized in Moscow as a champion of peace. Attendees included actor Robert Wagner and Vladimir Kulagin of the Soviet Embassy in Washington, D.C., who read a personal message of condolence from Mikhail Gorbachev: “Everyone in the Soviet Union who has known Samantha Smith will forever remember the image of the American girl who, like millions of Soviet young men and women, dreamt about peace, and about friendship between the peoples of the United States and the Soviet Union. Samantha shone like a brilliant beam of sunshine at a time when relations between our two countries were clouded.” President Ronald Reagan sent his condolences to Smith's mother, writing: “Perhaps you can take some measure of comfort in the knowledge that millions of Americans, indeed millions of people, share the burdens of your grief. They also will cherish and remember Samantha, her smile, her idealism and unaffected sweetness of spirit.” Astronomers later named an asteroid, “3147 Samantha” in her honor; it’s a small, permanent point of light that keeps moving whether anyone's watching or not, much like the moment she created without ever meaning to. In 2015, on the 30th anniversary of her death, the Maine State Museum opened a new exhibit of materials related to Smith, including photographs of her time at the Artek camp, traditional Russian clothing she was given, and an issue of Soviet Life magazine with her on the cover. In July 2023, a bronze monument to Smith was unveiled in Moscow. The inscription is stamped on the pedestal: "May There Always Be Sunshine". In December 1986, a full-size bronze statue of Samantha Smith (dedicated by the Maine State Library and Museum) was placed across from the state capitol building. On a gold plaque, there is the story of her short but spectacular life. “Samantha’s untimely death at age 13 in an airplane accident was mourned by adults and children worldwide. “Maine is proud of her native daughter and we remember the message she taught us: One child can play a powerful part in bringing peace to the world.”