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. It was there where he was found dead in his room on July 27. He could see the circling helicopter from his back yard. Mote recalls the first thing he saw was a bloody hand sticking out from the wreckage. No one that hit the ground alive died. Home; Memorials; Cemeteries; Famous; Contribute; Register; Sign In; Register; Sign In; . The flight was going good so far and other than Ronnie getting severely intoxicated while on the flight, all seemed to be setting up to be another routine flight. I'm still not sure why. 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. Before joining the music band, she was an original cast member of a school play under Hairspray. 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. I knew I could take photographs if I could get there. As he looked around the scene, his mind went back. News had spread about the crash and before too long an estimated 3,000 people had swarmed to the crash site. It would also be the first album that guitarist Steve Gaines would be the sole guitar player on. she asked me as we talked. 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. Both Steve and Cassie Gaines were killed in the crash. When he was sober, he was a fair and kind person. Her mother passed away on 15th February 1979 in a car accident. He rushed to his truck and headed in. One band member, JoJo Billingsly, was not on the flight. Cassie Gaines Wikipedia; Sponsored Links. 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. Cassie was 29 years old at the time of death. Artimus Pyle and Gary Rossington are the only two members alive today from the crash. He could hear the people moaning, pleading for help. For another crash scene veteran, this was also his first return visit in 38 years. Shining from what seemed to be a small house on a dairy farm. 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. ", "I never cared about flying in an airplane," he said. Then on the other side, it was Allen in the middle of Dean and Cassie. Rossington recalls saying It was always weird for Allen and me because we were up front in the plane. Gabel says he's been to the site 15 or more times. We just had released an album that went gold almost overnight. Collins recovered and began performing again, eventually forming the Allen Collins Band. Check your inbox to be the first to know the hottest news. As soon as it seemed that the worst of the flight was passing, the true nightmare was about to set in for Lynyrd Skynyrd and the crew aboard. He was known as Papa Ronnie. However, it is believed that the pilots were trying to transfer oil from one engine to another when they accidentally jettisoned the fuel instead. 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. Natural causes were to blame. No discernable landmarks remained, save the creek bed. The pilots were still in their seats, but were laying upside down in nearby trees. 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. Soon after the plane would begin to jerk and shake violently. Photo: Pinterest. In the ensuing chaos, souvenir hunters took billfolds, jewelry, suitcases, band merchandise and even chunks of metal from the crash site. However, other band members convinced her otherwise. Wilkeson would eventually be found dead in a hotel room in 2001 at age 49. Other band members were injured, some very seriously. They were scheduled to perform at the Louisiana State University. 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. Ronnies mother Marion refused to make the flight, after seeing a horrific plane crash of her own that killed 9 people. "They seemed to be chasing him, trying to flag him down. 5 spot, it was the bands first No. Video of a barechested Pyle at the 1979 Volunteer Jam does not show evidence of a gunshot wound. In 1977, lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Stevie Gaines and Gaines sister, Cassie Gaines, were killed in a plane crash. At the time of her death she survived by her large extended friends and family. News had spread about the crash and before too long an estimated 3,000 people had swarmed to the crash site. His first impression was, "What is a bunch of hippies doing on an airplane? In Genes interview, he mentions that he ran to the cock pit and to alert the pilots of the exploded engine and their response was Nothins wrong. In 1995, while on assignment in Phunket Thailand for the Times-Picayune's series "Oceans of Trouble," I boarded a small fantail fishing boat on the edges of the Andaman Sea with writer John McQuaid to photograph the disappearing mangroves. Skip to main content. . 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. Mother of Lynyrd Skynyrd members Cassie Gaines and Steve Gaines. But one thing I'm proud of. Small and cramped, it still felt better than lift-off of the Convair CV-240. Van Zant, Steve and Cassie Gaines, Kilpatrick and the pilots were laid in a temporary morgue at a local high school gymnasium. Tuesday October 20, 2015 marked the 38th anniversary and drew several veterans from the night of the crash. He later caused a controversy by giving a lurid account of Cassie Gaines' final moments on a VH1 Behind The Music special about the band, claiming that the backing singer's throat was cut from ear to ear and that she bled to death in his arms. 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. As we talked, we heard a racket through the trees. She was requested to join the band as a backing vocalist. Wilkeson would play in both Rossington Collins Band and the Allen Collins band. He would eventually succumb to paralytic pneumonia while being treated in a hospital in 1990. Dean Kilpatrick, the bands manager, lay dead and covered in blood. The talented singer met her death at the young age of 29. 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. But not all had the intentions of lending a helping hand. "It was the saddest thing," she recalls, 11 years later. However, they were apparently talked into using it just one more time which happened to be their last ride. 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. Updated cover after plane crash, 1977The official NTSB accident report reads, "The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the probable cause of this accident was fuel exhaustion and total loss of power from both engines due to crew inattention to fuel supply. He could hear the people moaning, pleading for help. 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). She performed as a backup singer in popular hits such as One More Time and That Smell. Be the first to get hottest news from our Editor-in-Chief, Check your email and confirm your subscription. Lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines and singer Cassie Gaines were all killed in the crash, and the . Van Zant, Steve and Cassie Gaines, Kilpatrick and the pilots were laid in a temporary morgue at a local high school gymnasium. Ultimate Classic Rock What Happened to the Survivors of the Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash? But there wasn't any gas on the ground because they ran out of gas.". At the end of the day, Ronnie and the boys are gone and we lost a rock n roll angel on October 20, 1977. 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. The band had just released their biggest album to date and was riding off of a good high. A Convair CV-240. Van Zant died instantly of blunt force trauma to the head. The two men, for a while, were the only able-bodied persons present to help pull people from the wreckage. 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. "Why, yes I do," I said, thinking about my roots, my old buddies and the high school dances. Marc Frank remembers seeing complete and total despair. His wife, Lola, and my wife grew up together. Johnny Mote and his ragtag team were first on the crash site. Gary Rossington broke both his arms and both his legs in the crash, and took many months to recuperate. Among them were Lacy Van Zant, Ronnies Father, and .38 Specials Guitarist Dan Barnes. You are already subscribed to our newsletter! Both of which helped the album climb to the No. Natural causes were to blame. A Convair CV-240, similar to the one in the crash. 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 tour is scheduled to run through mid-September. From left to right: Allen Collins, Ronnie Van Zant, And Gary Rossington. Especially with the song That Smell. Powell's nose had been nearly ripped from his face after crashing head first through a table. It felt like being hit with baseball bats in a steel garbage can with the lid on. The band has been on tour, and dates through the weekend have been cancelled. 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. MCA Records, out of courtesy, withdrew the sleeve and replaced it with a cover of the band striking a similar pose against a plain black background. Truth be known, after 38 years, Martin is a little tired of talking about the whole thing. The crash killed Ronnie Van Zant, Steve and Cassie Gaines, assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, as well as pilot Walter McCreary and co-pilot William Gray. It is possible that the damaged magneto fooled the pilots into creating an exceptionally rich fuel mixture, causing the Convair to run out of fuel. From the commercial hits of Free Bird and Simple Man to less mainstream songs like The Needle And The Spoon and T Is For Texas, Lynyrd Skynyrd and their driving southern sound quickly cut their way to the top of the charts and into the hearts of many across the states and around the world. 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. Tremendous physical pain overwhelmed the group as did mental exhaustion. A small plane with 40 seats and two props the plane was anything but extraordinary. Gene Odom had been thrown from the plane and broke his neck, his skin badly burned and one eye blinded by phosphorus from a de-icing flare that had been aboard. Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Ronnie Van Zant was just more than the bands main songwriter, frontman, and singer. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Photo: Pinterest. 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. Martin said she then, "called 911, or 0, or whatever we called back then.". Toxicology tests were also ordered to determine whether there were drugs in his system at the time. I was a young graphic artist at the time. Marc Frank, a 24-year-old roadie traveling with the band, noticed what seemed to be fuel spewing from the right engine. The reason is that just a few short days before some of the band members had reported seeing sparks a large as 10ft shooting out of the right engine. They were directing him to the property next to his family's farm. Part of the preparations required contacting landowners and securing permission to be there and a guide to lead me in. I didn't know where this was going. The events before the plane crash are perhaps the most bone-chilling ones you'd ever hear. The rest of the group had no idea at the time that they would never see the face of Ronnie again. His only help at that moment was his neighbor, Dwain Easley. It was the last flight of Lynyrd Skynyrd: Oct. 20, 1977, the night they . Cassie was buried in Orange Park, Florida, together with her brother, Steve Gains. Powell's nose had been nearly ripped from his face after crashing head first through a table. Everyone on the flight, except for Ronnie Van Zant, was feeling uneasy and restless. 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. It is reported that the pilots whose eyes were full of terror, told them to go back to their seats and prepare for impact. And to Brenda's point, he's writing a book. Everyone on the flight, except for Ronnie Van Zant, was feeling uneasy and restless. Lynyrd Skynyrd stops for a shot in 1973. July 30, 2001 -- Leon Wilkeson, bass player and founding member of Lynyrd Skynyrd, is dead at age 49. I admired his ability to tell gripping stories with his camera, so I began considering a career change. . With the dust settled from a plane crash that would make a small Mississippi town famous, everything that surrounded the few conscious and able survivors were completely horrific and getting darker by the second. ", But with no experience he morphed from a dairy farmer to a rescuer. Rescue vehicles on the ground found no direct path in sight. Artimus Pyle, drummer for the band, stops for a quick picture while en route to the next show. Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. Through the woods, yet another seeker appeared. Marc Frank was beaten terribly and was also covered in lacerations and blood. In 1975, his sister, Cassie, whose group had been hired to sing back. Several members of the band died in a plane crash that occurred on October 20, 1977, three days after the release of Street Survivors. The tail section broke off, the cockpit broke off and buckled underneath, then both wings broke off. Violent, wild, and belligerent, Ronnie was a force to be reckoned with. 100+ love and trust messages for her to rekindle the passion, 100+ miss you sister quotes, messages, and texts to show your love, EU parliament chief urges Ukraine membership talks this year, UN chief condemns rich countries 'vicious' tactics against poor, Meet Empress Esi the 13-year-old GH girl building schools and giving joy to the needy through her foundation, Christian Atsu's family releases date, venue and other details about his final funeral rites, "Beauty and talent": Gorgeous young lady displays exceptional drumming skills in church, viral video melts hearts, What teams have never been to the super bowl. You have permission to edit this article. Almost four decades later, I noticed a seemingly innocuous post on Facebook. 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. On several occasions, the latter shined through. The album would reach gold in ten days after release and it would eventually go double platinum. So, we're both southerners.". We had to cross a black water slew," he said. Laying on the ground, still alive for only a moment, to slowly bleed to death. Gene Odom, Lynyrd Skynyrds bodyguard, recalls: They took my watch, my wallet, my ring, and my money as I lay bleeding on the ground. The famous music band Lynyrd Skynyrd is considered to have one of the most gruesome band histories after losing several people in an aerial accident. Two bulldozers were dispatched to plow a primitive path off nearby Highway 568 in order to give a ground path available to the first responders. 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. Assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, the pilot, and co-pilot Walter McCreary and William Gray also died. We love you!!!" "I knew she was gone. Sang background vocals (one of the Honkettes) for Lynyrd Skynyrd. Easley knows he wasn't the first on the site, but he was there early. A little after the two-hour mark, however, events started to unfold that would soon make history. Who died in the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash? Rudge chartered three planes for loved ones to identify the bodies. You all just better get some rest. Dan Barnes recalls saying This man had just been to the funeral home and seen his son dead and decided to keep that to himself for these guys to heal. The original cover was restored after the 30th anniversary of the album. As they, too, were succumbing to the sub-par standards of the plane and crew. After I led him to the downtown McComb offices, I returned home, developed my film in a clumsy bathroom darkroom and went to sleep. Although Steven Tyler and Joe Perry had insisted that they charter the plane, ultimately it was not signed to the band. Powell also claimed that Ronnie Van Zant's head had been smashed. Everyone knows him as "Governor." I had a small studio, making a living mostly painting signs for local businesses. Artimus has had many ups and downs since then, several incarcerations, and a huge falling out with Gary. Laying on the ground, still alive for only a moment, to slowly bleed to death. Before long, he noticed three men emerge from the dense woods along the pasture. Van Zant himself "loathed flying," as Rolling Stone. The will to carry on was strong, however, Pyle being a US Marine, would live out the phrase Semper Fidelis which means always faithful.