 Approximately two weeks before principal photography began, an aircraft carrying Richard Dawking (production designer) and Brian Coates (production manager) crashed during location scouting over the countryside of Morocco, killing all on board.The film is dedicated to the memory of Dawking and Coates, as well as screenwriter Diane Thomas, who had died in an automobile accident.During filming in Morocco, Douglas and Turner flying in an executive jet aircraft, had a near-accident when their aircraft wing struck the runway in a heavy landing.