However, it is believed that the pilots were trying to transfer oil from one engine to another when they accidentally jettisoned the fuel instead. Headline from a local newspaper reporting the crash. Assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, the pilot, and co-pilot Walter McCreary and William Gray also died. "I had expertise on what to do and growing up in Amite County, Mississippi didn't hurt. 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. An old high school friend, Bobby McDaniel, posted a photo and a comment about a name-carved tree from the crash site. These things don't happen here. Collect, curate and comment on your files. But sadly when he drank, which was quite often, his demeanor and character qualities changed drastically. Willing to lend a hand and stick by his bandmates, he was hard to beat when standing by your side. A little after the two-hour mark, however, events started to unfold that would soon make history. Cassie Gaines died on the 20 th of October, 1977 in a plane crash at Gillsburg, Mississippi when she was only 29 years old. She was born on 9th January 1948 in Missouri, USA. It is a cautionary song about drug abuse that fans believed was aimed at one of the members. Wilkeson would eventually be found dead in a hotel room in 2001 at age 49. And to Brenda's point, he's writing a book. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. A chartered Convair 240, N55VM, carrying the band between shows from Greenville, South Carolina to LSU in Baton Rouge, Louisiana crashed near a forest in McComb, Mississippi. Coincidence? Other band members were injured, some very seriously. From left to right: Allen Collins, Ronnie Van Zant, And Gary Rossington. It was the last flight of Lynyrd Skynyrd: Oct. 20, 1977, the night they . I can't remember," he said. He needed to use their darkroom to get his photos out. 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. 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 didn't know who the victims were. Van Zant, Steve and Cassie Gaines, Kilpatrick and the pilots were laid in a temporary morgue at a local high school gymnasium. 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. 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. They were directing him to the property next to his family's farm. The album would go through several cover changes and would mark a new era for the guys. Artimus Pyle emerged with several broken ribs, and bleeding everywhere you could. When Aerosmith's crew heard of Skynyrd's misfortune, they were shocked, but not necessarily surprised. His only help at that moment was his neighbor, Dwain Easley. A small plane with 40 seats and two props the plane was anything but extraordinary. In the ensuing chaos, souvenir hunters took billfolds, jewelry, suitcases, band merchandise and even chunks of metal from the crash site. Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. It was Steve, and me, and Ronnie and I was in the middle of them. Rossington recalls saying It was always weird for Allen and me because we were up front in the plane. We just had released an album that went gold almost overnight. Artimus Pyle and Gary Rossington are the only two members alive today from the crash. Artimus Pyle and Gary Rossington are the only two members alive today from the crash. I was a young graphic artist at the time. Collins began his rise to success as the lightning-fingered guitarist for the Jacksonville band formed in 1966 by a group of high school students. 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. Photo: Pinterest. Everyone on the flight, except for Ronnie Van Zant, was feeling uneasy and restless. For many years, a dozen red roses have been carefully placed around the base, much like the mysterious unfinished bottle of Martell cognac at the grave of Edgar Allen Poe in Baltimore. But I couldn't stand it any longer. The site has drawn visitors over the years. Photo: hu.wikipedia.com. He lifted one after another and shuffled them to others outside. Cassie joined the team and became one of the three members of The Honkette's, a female gospel vocal trio of Lynyrd Skynyrd. But not all had the intentions of lending a helping hand. Lynyrd Skynyrd pose for a portrait circa 1976. It was Dr. Hank Lewis, a month shy of 78-years-old. Making the original release cover more valuable to collectors than the second cover released just a few weeks after the album hit the shelves. The events before the plane crash are perhaps the most bone-chilling ones you'd ever hear. Everyone just stood there helpless. Gabel says he's been to the site 15 or more times. Headline from a local newspaper reporting the crash. And it left Teresa Gaines a widow. 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. The site is hard to access. The fuselage turned sideways, and everybody was hurled forward.. 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. He suffered a heart attack while on break from tour. Throughout the ordeal, he remembers seeing the debris and suitcases scattered around, but he didn't think anything of it. Rossington and keyboardist Billy Powell are now the only founding members in the band. Cause of death: Car accident. Billy had taken too long on his intro to the song Free Bird and that didnt set well with Ronnie. There were 24 passengers and two crew members aboard the aircraft. Easley knows he wasn't the first on the site, but he was there early. Ronnie had died instantly upon impact, his head slamming into a tree. The tour is scheduled to run through mid-September. 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. Sit down. The plane had taken off with a faulty gasoline gauge that fooled the pilots into thinking that the plane was equipped with the appropriate amount of gas to reach their destination. Who died in the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash? However, they were apparently talked into using it just one more time which happened to be their last ride. All reality had been broken and none of the surviving members would ever be the same or view life the same again. His only help at that moment was his neighbor, Dwain Easley. ", Other questions:subscriberservices@theadvocate.com. "Yes, your right," I said, slightly amused. But a message on the group's official Web site said the summer tour will resume on Aug. 7, in Spokane, Wash. Allen's wife would bleed to death due to a miscarriage. No discernable landmarks remained, save the creek bed. Artimus Pyle emerged with several broken ribs, and bleeding everywhere you could. It was rumored that it was Ed Kings (original guitar player for Lynyrd Skynyrd) wife but it was not confirmed. In 1982 he would form the Allen Collins band but shortly after would wreck his new Ford Thunderbird, killing his then girlfriend and paralyzing Collins. "He didn't want to talk about it for years.". What injuries did Cassie Gaines die from? Varying accounts have Mote either firing a warning shot into the air or actually shooting Pyle in the shoulder no report is completely reliable. The plane had completely disintegrated. I photographed their wedding. Band confidant, Gene Odum, is privately interviewed to share his story on what happened on this awful day in history. Photo: Pinterest. Rudge chartered three planes for loved ones to identify the bodies. Especially Artimus, who had three broken ribs and multiple large cuts. News had spread about the crash and before too long an estimated 3,000 people had swarmed to the crash site. "Sweet Home Alabama" became the southern anthem for millions. Johnny Mote and his ragtag team were first on the crash site. In 1977, lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Stevie Gaines and Gaines sister, Cassie Gaines, were killed in a plane crash. One of them being completely decapitated. He then assembled a convoy of trucks and four-wheelers to locate the crash site and rescue the survivors. The album had deeper meaning than most. However, other band members convinced her otherwise. A towering beech tree stands sentinel on the west side of the creek, carefully carved with scores of knurled epithets. But there wasn't any gas on the ground because they ran out of gas.". Powell's nose had been nearly ripped from his face after crashing head first through a table. 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. For members Gary Rossington and Allen Collins, the weight of what happened seemed to push down on them the most. Tremendous physical pain overwhelmed the group as did mental exhaustion. A tragic scene no person would ever wish to see or soon forget. Ronnie Van Zant was just more than the bands main songwriter, frontman, and singer. The cover would quickly be changed to a more bland blacked-out background with the band in the same pose after the accident. There were 26 people on that fateful flight. Lynyrd Skynyrd disbanded after the airplane tragedy. The death of Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines, and Cassie Gains of the southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd was a massive blow to many. 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). "We didn't know how much gas was on the ground. The album cover depicted the band members in an alleyway covered in flames. 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 band leased a new Convair CV-240 to help them get between shows easier. 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. Gene Odom, Lynyrd Skynyrds bodyguard, recalls: They took my watch, my wallet, my ring, and my money as I lay bleeding on the ground. He knew those woods well. My younger brother and I banged out "Freebird" on a cheap set of drums in our bedroom. Steven Earl Gaines (September 14, 1949 - October 20, 1977) was an American musician. Mote recalls the first thing he saw was a bloody hand sticking out from the wreckage. In addition to his fractured ribcage, Artimus Pyle was treated for numerous abrasions and contusions. I knew I could take photographs if I could get there. All the surrounding land is privately owned and prominently marked with "No Trespassing" signs. 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 plane had completely disintegrated. The Convair 240 itself had been inspected by members of Aerosmith's flight crew for possible use in the early summer of 1977, but was rejected because it was felt that neither the plane nor the crew were up to standards. The pilots would have to make an emergency landing. A plane crash left lead singer Ronnie Van Zandt, lead guitarist Steve Gaines and backup singer Cassie Gaines dead. Artimus Pyle, drummer for the band, stops for a quick picture while en route to the next show. 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. They were scheduled to perform at the Louisiana State University. Stinky! One such silent witness has found a way to talk. Cassie Gaines was one of the band members who boarded the ill-fated flight. Wilkeson suffered severe internal injuries, including a punctured lung, and had most of his teeth knocked out. A little after the two-hour mark, however, events started to unfold that would soon make history. Photo: obviousmag.org. The rest of the group had no idea at the time that they would never see the face of Ronnie again. "I was well prepared with advanced trauma life support training," he said, "and (I was) a flight surgeon in the military. 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. ", "I expected to see all dead people looking at these woods. He was only 39, but was no rookie. His first band recorded its debut at Sun Recording Studio in Memphis, and later bands included RIO Smokehouse and Rusty Day. In an interview in the book Walk This Way, Aerosmith's assistant chief of flight operations Zunk Buker tells of seeing pilots McCreary and Gray trading a bottle of Jack Daniels back and forth while Buker and his father were inspecting the plane. Billy Powell, the bands keyboardist, received extensive facial lacerations and a broken right knee. I grabbed my camera and jumped in the car. 1 on iTunes Charts, 36 songs, no apologies: Morgan Wallen delivers more (much more) of what made him countrys king, David Lindley, guitarist best known for work with Jackson Browne, dies at 78, Desperate mountain residents trapped by snow beg for help; We are coming, sheriff says, Look up: The 32 most spectacular ceilings in Los Angeles, Winter storms ease drought conditions in California, report shows, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, Best coffee city in the world? Tangled by underbrush and the 20-foot creek, the rescue team had to act and think fast. One guy standing near the wreckage lit a cigarette and I tackled him," he said. I'm from southern Thailand. Two of them were crew members, pilot Walter McReary and co-pilot William Gray, the rest were band members and roadies. His luck, however, was on the short end of the stick as he would have his throat slit while on the Lynyrd Skynyrd tour bus in the early 90s. Here are 10 facts about Lynyrd Skynyrd and their fateful end. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Willing to lend a hand and stick by his bandmates, he was hard to beat when standing by your side. But sadly when he drank, which was quite often, his demeanor and character qualities changed drastically. July 30, 2001 -- Leon Wilkeson, bass player and founding member of Lynyrd Skynyrd, is dead at age 49. Cassie Gaines cause of death The talented singer met her death at the young age of 29. 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. That now legendary and near-mythical plane crash killed Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, Honkettes backup singer Cassie Gaines, assistant tour manager Dean Kilpatrick and the pilot and co-p Some blame it on the planes age and poor design, weighing in on its smaller fuselage and compact wingspan. Collins and other band members were severely injured. Rescue vehicles on the ground found no direct path in sight. According to an interview in the book Freebirds, Billingsley had dreamed of the plane crash and begged Allen Collins by telephone not to continue using the Convair. Especially with the song That Smell. 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. Johnny headed for the crash site to see if he could help. You are already subscribed to our newsletter! He then assembled a convoy of trucks and four-wheelers to locate the crash site and rescue the survivors. Pyle, Frank, and Peden were met with hostility when they finally came up to Mote. Martin said she then, "called 911, or 0, or whatever we called back then.". A Convair CV-240. Ronnies mother Marion refused to make the flight, after seeing a horrific plane crash of her own that killed 9 people. I admired his ability to tell gripping stories with his camera, so I began considering a career change. From left to right: Allen Collins, Ronnie Van Zant, And Gary Rossington. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a2fad0cc830fa72 On October 20, 1977, Cassie Gaines died of non-communicable disease. In 1986, his car ran off a road and crashed into a culvert, paralyzing him from the waist down and killing his girlfriend. ", But with no experience he morphed from a dairy farmer to a rescuer. She began her career at a young age but has grown steadily over the years to become one of the best in Hollywood. The Getty Images design is a trademark of Getty Images. The plane had a thinner fuselage and smaller wingspan than any of its kind at the time. The two men, for a while, were the only able-bodied persons present to help pull people from the wreckage. A costly mistake at 9,000ft or so. "New Orleans is a southern city. The aircraft was destroyed by impact; there was no fire. 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. Collins and other band members were severely injured. Rescue vehicles on the ground found no direct path in sight. Ronnie Van Zant was just more than the bands main songwriter, frontman, and singer. Artimus Pyle, drummer for the band, stops for a quick picture while en route to the next show. Steve Gaines was killed instantly upon impact and his sister Cassie Gaines perished as well. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Lynyrd Skynyrd is a staple on rock, classic rock, and southern radio stations. Where Did We Find This Stuff? 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. Guitarists Allen Collins and Steve Gaines, Honkette Leslie Hawkins, bassist Leon Wilkeson, Honkettes Cassie Gaines and JoJo Billingsley, and. This year there were no red roses, but a freshly carved "R.J." stood out with red paint enhancement. It would take hours to remove the bodies of the dead and injured from the plane. Click to reveal Marc Frank, a 24-year-old roadie traveling with the band, noticed what seemed to be fuel spewing from the right engine. 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. "I knew she was gone. I had a small studio, making a living mostly painting signs for local businesses. We always wondered why, you know. The surviving members would grapple with this throughout their days. The reason behind this? he said, barely able to get his English to suit his thoughts. The official cause of death will be announced after toxicology test results come back in two to three weeks. 5 spot, it was the bands first No. Freebird, Lynyrd Skynyrd, 10/20/77 and a notebook-sized rebel flag are deeply etched into the old bark. Photo: Uncle Johns Bathroom Reader. (Photo by Ted Jackson). Despite this faux pas, Powell has been on good terms with the remaining band members since the incident. Her brother was Skynyrd guitarist Steve Gaines. He was a walking treasure trove of names, facts and figures. Minutes later he was guiding an ambulance through an overgrown trail. "Seems like everyone is writing a book. In 1982 he would form the Allen Collins band but shortly after would wreck his new Ford Thunderbird, killing his then girlfriend and paralyzing Collins. 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. Thats when most of the sober members of the band saw that the right propeller was no longer working. Ultimate Classic Rock What Happened to the Survivors of the Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash? 137.184.228.194 Powell also claimed that Ronnie Van Zant's head had been smashed. Small and cramped, it still felt better than lift-off of the Convair CV-240. But as my wife and I watched the news bulletins flash on TV, it was a big deal. All reality had been broken and none of the surviving members would ever be the same or view life the same again. It is reported that the pilots whose eyes were full of terror, told them to go back to their seats and prepare for impact. Both Steve and Cassie Gaines were killed in the crash. Band members Artimus Pyle and Billy Powell entered the cockpit to get an idea of what was happening. It felt like being hit with baseball bats in a steel garbage can with the lid on. Photo: thetv.info. Ronnie Van Zant enjoying a stog before a show. On the original pressing of the cover of Street Survivors was a photograph of the band engulfed in flames. Van Zant, Steve and Cassie Gaines, Kilpatrick and the pilots were laid in a temporary morgue at a local high school gymnasium. When he was sober, he was a fair and kind person. "If (that tree) could talk, it'd tell you all about it," he said. 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. She died from excessive bleeding as her throat had been cut from ear to ear. You have permission to edit this article. "Why, yes I do," I said, thinking about my roots, my old buddies and the high school dances. It would also be the first album that guitarist Steve Gaines would be the sole guitar player on. The band was reaching fever pitch with its fans across the South and the nation. Natural causes were to blame. We had a friendly translator whose command of the English language was poor at best. Wilkeson would play in both Rossington Collins Band and the Allen Collins band. When he was sober, he was a fair and kind person. 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.