Actor Jan-Michael Vincent, best known for starring in the 1980s CBS series "Airwolf," has died at the age of 73.

Vincent died February 10 of cardiac arrest at Mission Hospital's Memorial Campus in Asheville, North Carolina, according to his death certificate obtained by The Hollywood Reporter. His passing has only just come to light.

Vincent's early, promising career went down in flames due to a public battle with alcohol and drug abuse and violence.

In the 1970s, his heartthrob good looks put him on the verge of stardom. He appeared in "The Mechanic" (1972), "White Line Fever" (1975) and 1978's "Hooper."

In 1984, he became one of the highest paid actors on television by starring on the CBS drama "Airwolf" opposite Ernest Borgnine. The show ran for four seasons.

But his career began unraveling and in 1996, he was in a drunken car accident in Mission Viejo, California, that broke his neck and damaged his vocal cords.

In 2000, he was sent to jail for assaulting his pregnant former girlfriend, causing her to miscarry, and for violating his probation by appearing drunk in public several times.

Vincent was involved in another car accident in 2008 and contracted an infection that led to his right leg being amputated. He spent his final years broke and in debt.