Has there ever been a plane crash in NBA history?

Yes, on January 18, 196, the Lakers crashed. On the afternoon of January 17, 196, the Lakers lost 119-135 to the Hawks in St. Louis, not only losing four games in a row, but also losing the seventh of their last nine games. On the way back to Minneapolis, the fuel was exhausted due to the weather and the plane broke down on the way, so we had to make an emergency landing in a cornfield, and everyone narrowly escaped.

Note: See Section 22 of A Brief History of the Lakers for details.