Ward, from Montana, has been one of the featured drivers for the last five of the History Channel show's 10 seasons.
The show follows drivers as they battle the elements to deliver supplies to remote communities in northern Canada.
In the UK, the latest series of Ice Road Truckers had around 900,000 viewers per episode on Channel 5.
A statement on Ward's Facebook page said he had been travelling from a truck show in Dallas, Texas, to start filming the pilot for new a documentary about the recovery of plane wrecks in Montana.
The statement said his co-pilot, who was unnamed, also died in the crash,
"Trucking has always been a large part of Darrell's life; from running the harvest rigs with his grandparents and family, to driving trucks from Montana to Alaska and all roads in between," it read.
"In his free time, you could usually find Darrell giving back to the community any chance he got, he had promoted the most recent food drive to help victims in the Louisiana Floods and was scheduled to appear as the grand marshal for the Truck Convoy for Special Olympics in Nova Scotia."
The message added: "His motto, 'any road, any load' fits his personality perfectly."
A statement from History said: "We are saddened by the tragic loss of Darrell Ward, a beloved member of the History family.
"He will be greatly missed and our thoughts are with his family during this difficult time."
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Darrell Ward, one of the long-haul drivers made famous on TV's Ice Road Truckers, has been killed in a plane crash at the age of 52.