The official report of the crash read: "The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determines that the probable cause of this accident was fuel exhaustion and total loss of power from both engines due to crew inattention to the fuel supply. Cassie was 29 years old at the time of death. Dean Kilpatrick, the bands manager, lay dead and covered in blood. Mote fired a warning shot in the air. He pulled the lifeless body of Cassie Gaines up by her belt. Some blame it on the planes age and poor design, weighing in on its smaller fuselage and compact wingspan. Artimus Pyle emerged with several broken ribs, and bleeding everywhere you could. Lynyrd Skynyrd stops for a shot in 1973. Gabel says he's been to the site 15 or more times. On another occasion, while reportedly on a drunken rage, he even slashed the hands of Gary Rossington, his best friend and guitarist, with a broken beer bottle. Over the weekend, the message boards on the official Web site were flooded with messages of lament for the "living legend," "free bird," and simple man.". Click to reveal Rescue vehicles on the ground found no direct path in sight. Marc Frank remembers seeing complete and total despair. After the death of three of their members, the band decided to change the cover photo of the album, which initially featured a picture of the band engulfed in flames. He could see the circling helicopter from his back yard. These things don't happen here. Most of the 20 survivors were taken to Southwest Regional Medical Center in McComb, where the lobby had been transformed into a makeshift emergency treatment center to quickly deal with the onslaught of plane crash victims. ", "There were plenty of old boys standing around here. I dont know who you think we are but we were on a plane and the plane crashed out there on the other side of that cow pasture. Mote instantly connected the dots to the sound he heard earlier and the men that lay before him. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Her brother was Skynyrd guitarist Steve Gaines. Mote recalls the first thing he saw was a bloody hand sticking out from the wreckage. 137.184.228.194 A towering beech tree stands sentinel on the west side of the creek, carefully carved with scores of knurled epithets. Allen Collins, another guitar player for the group, had cracked two vertebrae, and the cut to his right arm was so severe, that it almost required amputation. Cassie Gaines mother was LaRue, while her father was Bud. Van Zant, Steve and Cassie Gaines, Kilpatrick and the pilots were laid in a temporary morgue at a local high school gymnasium. Johnny Mote and his ragtag team were first on the crash site. He was the New Orleans-based photographer for the Associated Press Jack Thornell, known for his Pulitzer Prize winning photo of civil rights leader James Meredith. Powell's version of events has been discounted by both Artimus Pyle and Judy Van Zant Jenness, who posted the autopsy reports on the band's website in early 1998 in order to set the record straight. ", But with no experience he morphed from a dairy farmer to a rescuer. The accident essentially destroyed one of the unique voices of American rock and roll. One of them being completely decapitated. The album would go through several cover changes and would mark a new era for the guys. The band regularly has different people sit in and play shows with them like Warren Haynes and Dicky Betts. He claims that Artimus Pyle, drummer for Lynyrd Skynyrd, survived scathe-less and crawled into the bushes watching Ronnie and the others die in this horrid fiery crash. In 1986, his car ran off a road and crashed into a culvert, paralyzing him from the waist down and killing his girlfriend. Band members Artimus Pyle and Billy Powell entered the cockpit to get an idea of what was happening. On one occasion after a show, he approached Billy Powell who was the bands keyboard player, and punched him so hard in the mouth he knocked his two front teeth out. There were 26 people on that fateful flight. Street Survivors became the band's second platinum album, and was the #5 top selling album on the U.S. album chart. The band has asked that fans wishing to remember Wilkeson do so through the Musician's Assistance Program, which assists musicians and industry professionals seeking treatment for addiction. Mote recalls the first thing he saw was a bloody hand sticking out from the wreckage. The single "What's Your Name" reached #13 on the single airplay charts in January of 1978. The location sounded familiar so he asked them to repeat. Musician. Rossington recalls saying It was always weird for Allen and me because we were up front in the plane. At least one member, background singer Cassie Gaines, had refused to board the flight, but was convinced against her better judgment. He could hear the people moaning, pleading for help. Steve Gaines was killed instantly upon impact and his sister Cassie Gaines perished as well. News had spread about the crash and before too long an estimated 3,000 people had swarmed to the crash site. The aircraft was destroyed by impact; there was no fire. "Steve was at the peak of his career. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines and singer Cassie Gaines were all killed in the crash, and the . Billy Powell, the bands keyboardist, received extensive facial lacerations and a broken right knee. Guitarists Allen Collins and Steve Gaines, Honkette Leslie Hawkins, bassist Leon Wilkeson, Honkettes Cassie Gaines and JoJo Billingsley, and. After I led him to the downtown McComb offices, I returned home, developed my film in a clumsy bathroom darkroom and went to sleep. As they, too, were succumbing to the sub-par standards of the plane and crew. Four of the passengers were killed including bandleader and lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, Cassie Gaines and assistant tour manager Dean Kilpatrick. He needed to use their darkroom to get his photos out. Photo: hu.wikipedia.com. Ronnie had died instantly upon impact, his head slamming into a tree. The album had two notable songs: Whats your name and That Smell. Ronnie Van Zant was just more than the bands main songwriter, frontman, and singer. He rushed to his truck and headed in. When the group asked Ronnies father how he was, he simply replied Hes fine. The sky is the limit for the talented actress. It was going to be the replacement for Douglas C3s with a pressurized cabin that was then just being mandated as a rule for commercial airlines. This year there were no red roses, but a freshly carved "R.J." stood out with red paint enhancement. Losing daylight, the pilots desperately looked for an open field or some kind of saving grace. I would like to think that only one grave robber was involved, but so many items were missing that I have to believe otherwise. It was as if they were back in Noahs time and all but a select few were stricken with greed of mankind and the chance to capitalize on an easy opportunity. "They'd busted bales of hay in the bed to soften the ride," he said. If a band couldn't play Skynyrd, they didn't get hired for the school dance. Everyone on the flight, except for Ronnie Van Zant, was feeling uneasy and restless. The talented singer met her death at the young age of 29. Truth be known, after 38 years, Martin is a little tired of talking about the whole thing. Any debris left on the ground has long been buried. he said, barely able to get his English to suit his thoughts. Artimus Pyle emerged with several broken ribs, and bleeding everywhere you could. Rescue vehicles on the ground found no direct path in sight. Last of the two surviving original member of the band, Gary Rossington, with Johnny Van Zant to his left and guitarist Rickey Medlocke to the right. Suffocating the people on the bottom from the sheer weight. . 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You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. In a separate interview, revealing the story of sound man Paul Welch who suffered traumatic injuries in this crash and was sent into a coma, shares that the plane that was utilized during this trip was already catching fire around the engine area and Lynyrd Skynyrd had requested to cease using it. The tail section broke off, the cockpit broke off and buckled underneath, then both wings broke off. Their lyrics were raw and fresh - honest and simple. Pyle maintains in the Howard Stern interview that the fuel gauge in the older model plane malfunctioned and the pilots had failed to manually check the tanks before taking off. For members Gary Rossington and Allen Collins, the weight of what happened seemed to push down on them the most. Here Are Our Sources: Remembering Lynyrd Skynyrds Deadly 1977 Plane Crash, Jordan Runtagh, The Rolling Stones, What Happened To The Surviving Members Of The Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash?, Micheal Cristopher, Ultimate Classic Rock.com, Falling Free Bird: The Truth About The Infamous Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash Is Stranger Than Fiction, Phil Gibbons, Ranker.com, The Joplin Globe Steve and Cassie Gaines to be inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame. From left to right: Allen Collins, Ronnie Van Zant, And Gary Rossington. She was born on 9th January 1948 in Missouri, USA. The other two members were JoJo Billingsley and Leslie Hawkins. The Vintage News Aerosmith Said No, Lynyrd Skynyrd Said Yes To The Plane. Cassie Gaines Wikipedia; Sponsored Links. A little after an hour of trudging through a creek and at one point burrowing underneath a barbed wire fence they found themselves staring at a small, dim light in the distance. The events before the plane crash are perhaps the most bone-chilling ones you'd ever hear. Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. ", Other questions:subscriberservices@theadvocate.com. Identification was completely hindered as there had been a poker game going on during the flight, and everyones wallets and purses had been strewn throughout the swamp. Artimus Pyle was also notoriously outspoken against the plane and on several occasions would take buses to shows. Even long after she is gone, her legacy as one of the most talented singers remains. Cassie Gaines was a talented and committed backup singer for the Lynard Skynyrd music band until she died in a plane crash. Billy had taken too long on his intro to the song Free Bird and that didnt set well with Ronnie. Deceased people hanging from trees, the other survivors moaning for help of any kind, and completely surrounded by a black swamp whose canopy is blocking the only light that is trying so desperately to shine through. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined that the probable cause of this accident was fuel exhaustion and total loss of power from both engines due to crew inattention to the fuel supply. He was best known for being a Rock Singer. Mike Rounsaville also arrived in the jeep with Dr. Lewis. That farm belonged to a young dairy farmer named Johnny Mote. "Yes, your right," I said, slightly amused. The singer was approached by artist JoJo Billingsley, sent by the band's head and lead vocalist, Ronnie Van Zant. I didn't know where this was going. It was suggested on the VH-1 Behind The Music profile on Skynyrd that this was the case, or that the pilots, panicking when the right engine failed, accidentally dumped the remaining fuel. He had already finished a film about the plane crash when Gary and several others stepped in and placed a lawsuit against the film to not be shown to the public. The 22-year-old had been outside bailing hay in the twilight when he heard the crash in the distance, which he assumed was a car skidding in gravel. But after seeing helicopter searchlights, he started to assume it was a jailbreak instead. A small plane with 40 seats and two props the plane was anything but extraordinary. In this video you will see the true story behind the tragic passing of Ronnie Van Zant, Cassie Gaines, Dean Kilpatrick, and Steve Gaines on October 20, 1977. Photo credits Airplane-Pictures.net. Gene Odom, Lynyrd Skynyrds bodyguard, recalls: They took my watch, my wallet, my ring, and my money as I lay bleeding on the ground. It wasn't a Cessna; it was a Convair CV 240, a twin engine, 40-passenger plane that was down in heavy woods near Gillsburg. The crash killed singer/songwriter Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist/vocalist Steve Gaines, vocalist Cassie Gaines, assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, pilot Walter McCreary and co-pilot William Gray. A tragic scene no person would ever wish to see or soon forget. At the time of her death she survived by her large extended friends and family. "I'd never seen anything like that," he said. Posted and no trespassing signs are prominently displayed. David Bowie Reveals His Favorite Songwriters, Michael Jacksons Daughter Release New Song, Fans Wants To Cancel Roger Waters Concerts, Ozzy Osbourne Give Update On Possible Touring, Why Keith Richards Was Jealous Of The Beatles, Dave Grohl Reveals His Favorite Paul McCartney Track. Powells nose had been nearly ripped from his face after crashing head first through a table. As the bulletins continued, they became more descriptive: "Tractors were pulling ambulances across a creek" was one exaggerated quote I remember so well. A Convair CV-240. The pilot and co-pilot also died; 20 others aboard lived. Before long, he noticed three men emerge from the dense woods along the pasture. Lewis was on emergency room call that night at McComb's Southwest Regional Medical Center. Steve Gaines was killed instantly upon impact and his sister Cassie Gaines perished as well. The Getty Images design is a trademark of Getty Images. In the beginning, the singer was reluctant to board the aircraft and had already bought another commercial flight ticket. I told him that it was the strongest thing I had seen a man do.. The plane had completely disintegrated. Several members of the band died in a plane crash that occurred on October 20, 1977, three days after the release of Street Survivors. It was known that the right engine's magneto a small power generator that provides spark and timing for the engine had been malfunctioning (Powell, among others, spoke of seeing flames shooting out of the right engine on a trip just prior to the accident), and that pilots McCreary and Gray had intended to repair the damaged part when the travelling party arrived in Baton Rouge. He obtained his first guitar at about age 14. Mote hopped into his pick-up to get back to his house, told his wife to get back in the house, then proceeded to grab his gun and stand guard. Assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, the pilot, and co-pilot Walter McCreary and William Gray also died. Everyone just stood there helpless. As a member of the Civil Air Patrol on that fateful night, he heard the report of a plane crash over the citizens band radio. On October 20, 1977, Cassie Gaines died of non-communicable disease. So we came out here and got busy. Leon Wilkeson and Billy Powell would both go on to pursue other musical ventures and both have a hand in several Lynyrd Skynyrd re-boots. Wilkeson would play in both Rossington Collins Band and the Allen Collins band. Freebird, Lynyrd Skynyrd, 10/20/77 and a notebook-sized rebel flag are deeply etched into the old bark. Ronnie Van Zant was just more than the bands main songwriter, frontman, and singer. It would take hours to remove the bodies of the dead and injured from the plane. "May the free bird fly on," read one message. Wilkeson would eventually be found dead in a hotel room in 2001 at age 49. The album had a very controversial cover when released. (Photo by Ted Jackson). It was Steve, and me, and Ronnie and I was in the middle of them. With my camera at the ready, the translator and I stood watch on the prow of the brightly colored wooden boat as we plowed the exotic coastline. Without wanting to cause alarm he thought to himself that maybe the pilots were trying to transfer fuel from one engine to another. Ronnies mother Marion refused to make the flight, after seeing a horrific plane crash of her own that killed 9 people. Powell also claimed that Ronnie Van Zant's head had been smashed. We love you!!!" The other band members Collins, Gary Rossington, Wilkeson, Powell, Artimus Pyle, and Hawkins, tour manager Ron Eckerman, and several road crew suffered . The aircraft crashed in a heavily wooded area during an attempted emergency landing. The band decided that once they had landed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, they would acquire a Learjet to replace the severely outdated 30-year-old plane. Soon after the plane would begin to jerk and shake violently. Leon Wilkeson, their bass player, had arguably the most harrowing recovery; as he faced many internal injuries, dislodged teeth, and a broken left arm and leg, and his heart stopped twice on the operating table while doctors frantically struggled to keep him alive. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. A medical examiner said on Sunday that Wilkeson suffered from chronic liver and lung disease, and most likely died of natural causes. The cockpit, tail, and wings completely ripped apart and the remaining cab lay desolate, in the shape of an L. The plane was simply not built well enough to even remotely handle the impact from the pine trees at roughly 90 mph. Collins recovered and began performing again, eventually forming the Allen Collins Band. Among them were Lacy Van Zant, Ronnies Father, and .38 Specials Guitarist Dan Barnes. Pyle, Frank, and Peden were met with hostility when they finally came up to Mote. He had known Easley Creek since his youth. Contributing to the fuel exhaustion were inadequate flight planning and an engine malfunction of undetermined nature in the right engine which resulted in higher-than-normal fuel consumption." Marc Frank, a 24-year-old roadie traveling with the band, noticed what seemed to be fuel spewing from the right engine. "Why, yes I do," I said, thinking about my roots, my old buddies and the high school dances. Everyone was afraid of riding on this plane. Collins, 37, suffered respiratory failure, said a Memorial Medical Center spokeswoman. A costly mistake at 9,000ft or so. Artimus Pyle once said they were flying in a plane that he believed belonged to the Clampett family (they were the family from the Beverly Hillbillies, a family notorious for using pieced together equipment.). The choppers belonged to the Coast Guard, National Guard and Forrest County General Hospital, who were doing their best to ferry people in, and illuminate the crash site. The official cause of death will be announced after toxicology test results come back in two to three weeks. No discernable landmarks remained, save the creek bed. Photo: Pinterest. All reality had been broken and none of the surviving members would ever be the same or view life the same again. She was sick and would meet up with the band in Arkansas to continue the tour. In 1977, lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Stevie Gaines and Gaines sister, Cassie Gaines, were killed in a plane crash. Gary Rossington, one of the bands guitar players, had suffered two broken arms, a broken leg, a punctured stomach and liver. Rudge chartered three planes for loved ones to identify the bodies. The pilots tried an emergency landing, but the plane crashed in the woods near Gillsburg in Mississippi. Sadly, it would end all to soon. His only help at that moment was his neighbor, Dwain Easley. As the three marched on, feet soaking wet from the water, all odds seemed stacked against the trio. 5 spot, it was the bands first No. Ronnies mother Marion refused to make the flight, after seeing a horrific plane crash of her own that killed 9 people. "I've been coming for years," he said, "and I've never met anyone who was here that night. A plane crash left lead singer Ronnie Van Zandt, lead guitarist Steve Gaines and backup singer Cassie Gaines dead. After claiming his deceased son, Lacy Van Zant went to visit the other members of the band at the hospital. Ultimate Classic Rock What Happened to the Survivors of the Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash? The pilots were still in their seats, but were laying upside down in nearby trees. So, we're both southerners.". But not all had the intentions of lending a helping hand. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a2fad0cc830fa72 Gary continues on the band with Ronnies brother, Johnny Van Zant, and guitarist Ricky Medlocke. He suffered a heart attack while on break from tour. Allen Collins, who lost fellow members of the rock group Lynyrd Skynyrd in a 1977 plane crash and was paralyzed four years ago in a drunken driving accident, died Tuesday of pneumonia. I'd deal with that later. We had a friendly translator whose command of the English language was poor at best. Despite this faux pas, Powell has been on good terms with the remaining band members since the incident. Buker had noticed the flight crew passing around liquor bottles while aboard the plane. The albums that followed featured a plain black background. A little after an hour of trudging through a creek and at one point burrowing underneath a barbed wire fence they found themselves staring at a small, dim light in the distance. Especially with the song That Smell. The band was reaching fever pitch with its fans across the South and the nation. Pilots Walter McCreary and William Gray were fully aware of a fuel shortage before the flight took off. Wilkeson cheated death in 1977, surviving a crash of the band's chartered plane. Terror soon engulfed the cabin of the plane and the pilots were frantically trying to radio local Houston Air Traffic Control, stating they had a fuel issue and were most likely going to have to make a emergency landing. Photo: hu.wikipedia.com. Steven Earl Gaines (September 14, 1949 - October 20, 1977) was an American musician. It was rumored that it was Ed Kings (original guitar player for Lynyrd Skynyrd) wife but it was not confirmed. Unfortunately, their plane ran short of fuel. Small and cramped, it still felt better than lift-off of the Convair CV-240. And then we heard voices. "You like Lynyrd Skynyrd?" Most of the 20 survivors were taken to Southwest Regional Medical Center in McComb, where the lobby had been transformed into a makeshift emergency treatment center to quickly deal with the onslaught of plane crash victims. Lynyrd Skynyrd pose for a portrait circa 1976. Johnny Mote and his ragtag team were first on the crash site. All the surrounding land is privately owned and prominently marked with "No Trespassing" signs. After claiming his deceased son, Lacy Van Zant went to visit the other members of the band at the hospital. Laying on the ground, still alive for only a moment, to slowly bleed to death. Security manager Gene Odom was seriously burned on his arm and face and lost the sight in one eye as a result of an emergency flare on board the plane that was activated during the crash. The band leased a new Convair CV-240 to help them get between shows easier. If you look closely, Ronnie Van Zant and Steve Gaines (2 of 3 band members to die in the crash) are completely engulfed in flames, whereas the rest of the band is merely standing around in the streets of fire. I put them all to work. Some of the guys were playing poker. Johnny headed for the crash site to see if he could help. The band would be marked for strife as just before their inaugural tour, Allens wife would bleed to death due to a miscarriage. I'm from southern Thailand. But I couldn't stand it any longer. Almost as mysteriously, the full bottle is never seen again. Performance & security by Cloudflare. Artimus Pyle emerged with several broken ribs, and bleeding everywhere you could. ", He reached up and pealed the split fuselage back and, with a flashlight, peered into the dark, jumbled mess of bodies. The plane killed three band members (Ronnie Van Zant, Cassie, Steve Gaines) and Dean Kilpatrick (assistant road manager), Walter McCreary (pilot), and William Gray (co-pilot). How do they know? He smiled broadly and said, "Turn it up! She was planning to join the tour in Little Rock on October 23, three days after the crash. Billy Powell would be in the new starting line-up of Lynyrd Skynyrd until his death in 2009. I dont like that, The Weeknd is getting mocked for his response to Rolling Stones The Idol expos, Daisy Jones & the Six review: Riley Keough fronts a rock soap opera, Aaron Carters mom posts awful photos from death scene, pushes for homicide inquiry, Wayne Shorter, influential jazz saxophonist and composer, dies at 89. Collect, curate and comment on your files. I marked my calendar and made arrangements. Sang background vocals (one of the Honkettes) for Lynyrd Skynyrd. The death of Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines, and Cassie Gains of the southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd was a massive blow to many. He lifted one after another and shuffled them to others outside. Skip to main content. Band confidant, Gene Odum, is privately interviewed to share his story on what happened on this awful day in history. He drove down from his home in Oakland, Miss. Sadly, the band would not make it to Baton Rouge and the plane had been pushed one flight too many. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Marc Frank remembers seeing complete and total despair. Pilot Walter. It is reported that the pilots whose eyes were full of terror, told them to go back to their seats and prepare for impact. Ronnie Van Zant, drunk and laying in the middle of the aisle, simply pulled himself together, sat up, and quietly chose a seat up front. I obviously didn't know what I was doing. It would also be the first album that guitarist Steve Gaines would be the sole guitar player on. ", "I expected to see all dead people looking at these woods. A little after the two-hour mark, however, events started to unfold that would soon make history. Powells nose had been nearly ripped from his face after crashing head first through a table. News had spread about the crash and before too long an estimated 3,000 people had swarmed to the crash site. It would be another hour before I heard the big news. With the tree tops approaching fast and just eight miles short of the air strip, the plane was headed for a Mississippi swamp and nothing could be done to save them now. He was known as Papa Ronnie. The band buckled in. Pianist Billy Powell survived, but his nose was nearly torn off and he suffered severe facial lacerations. On another occasion, while reportedly on a drunken rage, he even slashed the hands of Gary Rossington, his best friend and guitarist, with a broken beer bottle. Other band members were injured, some very seriously. According to the bands autobiography, Zunk Buker, Aerosmiths chief of flight operations manager, was inspecting the plane and the crew before they pulled the trigger. I would like to think that only one grave robber was involved, but so many items were missing that I have to believe otherwise. It was as if they were back in Noahs time and all but a select few were stricken with greed of mankind and the chance to capitalize on an easy opportunity. I had not realized before, but he also was there that night.