Artimus Pyle emerged with several broken ribs, and bleeding everywhere you could. "I had expertise on what to do and growing up in Amite County, Mississippi didn't hurt. The reason behind this? 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. Everyone was afraid of riding on this plane. Gary continues on the band with Ronnies brother, Johnny Van Zant, and guitarist Ricky Medlocke. Minutes later he was guiding an ambulance through an overgrown trail. The years after the crash would be difficult in its own right for surviving members, most of which would experience tragedy and early death themselves. Allen Collins kept moving on, eventually getting together with Gary Rossington to form the Rossington Collins Band. He hopes to publish in time for the 40th anniversary of the crash. After claiming his deceased son, Lacy Van Zant went to visit the other members of the band at the hospital. Your IP: 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. The band had just released their biggest album to date and was riding off of a good high. Birthday: January 9, 1948. The Vintage News Aerosmith Said No, Lynyrd Skynyrd Said Yes To The Plane. The will to carry on was strong, however, Pyle being a US Marine, would live out the phrase Semper Fidelis which means always faithful. 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. Some of the guys were playing poker. One guy standing near the wreckage lit a cigarette and I tackled him," he said. Laying on the ground, still alive for only a moment, to slowly bleed to death. From left to right: Allen Collins, Ronnie Van Zant, And Gary Rossington. The album had a very controversial cover when released. Despite this faux pas, Powell has been on good terms with the remaining band members since the incident. With that cue, Governor took the honors and introduced everyone as Gabel's mouth gaped in disbelief. She was hesitant because she had seen a small fire in one of the engines the previous day. For members Gary Rossington and Allen Collins, the weight of what happened seemed to push down on them the most. 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. Wilkeson cheated death in 1977, surviving a crash of the band's chartered plane. The official cause of death will be announced after toxicology test results come back in two to three weeks. He smiled broadly and said, "Turn it up! However, it is believed that the pilots were trying to transfer oil from one engine to another when they accidentally jettisoned the fuel instead. 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. He remembered seeing bodies everywhere. The death of Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines, and Cassie Gains of the southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd was a massive blow to many. 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. He then assembled a convoy of trucks and four-wheelers to locate the crash site and rescue the survivors. A Convair CV-240, similar to the one in the crash. Who died in the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash? 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. He had been impaled by a part of the fuselage and it pushed through his body and projected out of his back. In 1975, his sister, Cassie, whose group had been hired to sing back. I knew I had no business going, and my wife told me so. July 30, 2001 -- Leon Wilkeson, bass player and founding member of Lynyrd Skynyrd, is dead at age 49. Van Zant died instantly of blunt force trauma to the head. News had spread about the crash and before too long an estimated 3,000 people had swarmed to the crash site. 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. Freebird, Lynyrd Skynyrd, 10/20/77 and a notebook-sized rebel flag are deeply etched into the old bark. When the group asked Ronnies father how he was, he simply replied Hes fine. She is famous for starring in Saved by the Bell: The New Class, Goode Behavior, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and The Secret Life of the American Teenager. I'd deal with that later. She was sick and would meet up with the band in Arkansas to continue the tour. Lynyrd Skynyrd pose for a portrait circa 1976. Rudge chartered three planes for loved ones to identify the bodies. Wilkeson would play in both Rossington Collins Band and the Allen Collins band. I used my camera in my work. Turns out that Cassie didn't want to board that particular flight and had blatantly refused to travel on that plane. He suffered a heart attack while on break from tour. The pilots would have to make an emergency landing. 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. Part of the preparations required contacting landowners and securing permission to be there and a guide to lead me in. 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. Cassie joined the team and became one of the three members of The Honkette's, a female gospel vocal trio of Lynyrd Skynyrd. Rossington recalls saying It was always weird for Allen and me because we were up front in the plane. Collect, curate and comment on your files. He was more in the image I was pre-visualizing - one of an aging rocker. The aircraft crashed in a heavily wooded area during an attempted emergency landing. I quickly maneuvered free of a crumpled bumper and sped off. But soon, the helicopters that were heard and seen previously were on the scene. The sky is the limit for the talented actress. ", He reached up and pealed the split fuselage back and, with a flashlight, peered into the dark, jumbled mess of bodies. The band was reaching fever pitch with its fans across the South and the nation. 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). Tuesday October 20, 2015 marked the 38th anniversary and drew several veterans from the night of the crash. Collins and other band members were severely injured. Collins, 37, suffered respiratory failure, said a Memorial Medical Center spokeswoman. It felt like being hit with baseball bats in a steel garbage can with the lid on. Cassie was 29 years old at the time of death. The singer died in the arms of the surviving band's keyboardist Billy Powell. He could hear the people moaning, pleading for help. His wife, Lola, and my wife grew up together. In the beginning, the singer was reluctant to board the aircraft and had already bought another commercial flight ticket. "May the free bird fly on," read one message. 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. A plane crash left lead singer Ronnie Van Zandt, lead guitarist Steve Gaines and backup singer Cassie Gaines dead. As the three marched on, feet soaking wet from the water, all odds seemed stacked against the trio. One of them being completely decapitated. So, we're both southerners.". We were all fans. The site is hard to access. According to Powell, Cassie Gaines' final moments were particularly painful as she bled to death in his arms and that her throat had been cut from ear to ear, which gave more indications of execution than an accident. The plane had completely disintegrated. The pilots tried an emergency landing, but the plane crashed in the woods near Gillsburg in Mississippi. Everyone was afraid of riding on this plane. There are just too few physical landmarks. Dean Kilpatrick, the bands manager, lay dead and covered in blood. Billy Powell would be in the new starting line-up of Lynyrd Skynyrd until his death in 2009. The aircraft was destroyed by impact; there was no fire. I was just taken aback by it " but then his friend continued, "don't worry, Lynyrd made it out.". The band enjoyed national fame in the 1970s with such hits as Gimme Three Steps and Sweet Home Alabama.. Lead vocalist and founding member of the southern rock band, Ronnie Van Zant, also lost his life in the accident. In the ensuing chaos, souvenir hunters took billfolds, jewelry, suitcases, band merchandise and even chunks of metal from the crash site. My younger brother and I banged out "Freebird" on a cheap set of drums in our bedroom. 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. 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. Billy had taken too long on his intro to the song Free Bird and that didnt set well with Ronnie. "Steve was at the peak of his career. Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. The band leased a new Convair CV-240 to help them get between shows easier. Crying, praying, and counting the dead to see who they would never hug, play music with, and enjoy company with again. He knew those woods well. 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. Ronnie had died instantly upon impact, his head slamming into a tree. "From there, we followed the lights of the helicopter," he said. Mote fired a warning shot in the air. At the time of her death, she was 29 years old. It was rumored that it was Ed Kings (original guitar player for Lynyrd Skynyrd) wife but it was not confirmed. The tour is scheduled to run through mid-September. She died from excessive bleeding as her throat had been cut from ear to ear. Ronnie Van Zant enjoying a stog before a show. Obviously it is hard to dictate the correct story when various opinions and recollections are thrown out, however, it seems to us as though the pilots were aware of the faulty issues of the plane, did not check to make sure that the plane had enough gas, and did not seem to make an attempt to alert the passengers of their timely death. The only thing left was a trail of debris and people. Guitarists Allen Collins and Steve Gaines, Honkette Leslie Hawkins, bassist Leon Wilkeson, Honkettes Cassie Gaines and JoJo Billingsley, and. Band confidant, Gene Odum, is privately interviewed to share his story on what happened on this awful day in history. 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. Artimus Pyle was also notoriously outspoken against the plane and on several occasions would take buses to shows. Even though she survived the actual crash, she eventually bled to death before the rescue team could reach her. The album had deeper meaning than most. The pilots were still in their seats, but were laying upside down in nearby trees. Rudge chartered three planes for loved ones to identify the bodies. "They seemed to be chasing him, trying to flag him down. A spokesperson for the band's record label said Wilkeson died in his sleep Friday at a hotel near Jacksonville, Florida. 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. The rest of the group had no idea at the time that they would never see the face of Ronnie again. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Some blame it on the planes age and poor design, weighing in on its smaller fuselage and compact wingspan. We were shocked, as were most others hearing the news. The whole scene tore him apart. But I loved the bonding. 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. he said, barely able to get his English to suit his thoughts. Her mother passed away on 15th February 1979 in a car accident. Natural causes were to blame. Cassie Gaines died on the 20 th of October, 1977 in a plane crash at Gillsburg, Mississippi when she was only 29 years old. 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. But a message on the group's official Web site said the summer tour will resume on Aug. 7, in Spokane, Wash. As we walked through the woods, Governor and I agree that nothing looked or felt the same. Ultimate Classic Rock What Happened to the Survivors of the Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash? Steve Gaines was killed instantly upon impact and his sister Cassie Gaines perished as well. And it left Teresa Gaines a widow. [2] Both pilots were lost in the crash as well, however, a decent amount of fans seek the closure of their conviction of attempted manslaughter, even in death. Easley knows he wasn't the first on the site, but he was there early. 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. Cassie Gaines cause of death The talented singer met her death at the young age of 29. Willing to lend a hand and stick by his bandmates, he was hard to beat when standing by your side. "Seems like everyone is writing a book. Powells nose had been nearly ripped from his face after crashing head first through a table. According to a Billboard report, he died of natural causes in his sleep. I put them all to work. How do they know? . Allen Collins kept moving on, eventually getting together with Gary Rossington to form the Rossington Collins Band. Powell's nose had been nearly ripped from his face after crashing head first through a table. The album had two notable songs: Whats your name and That Smell. She said her husband grabbed his .243 hunting rifle, ran out and fired a warning shot. Aerosmith's touring family was also relieved because the band, specifically Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, had been trying to pressure their management into renting that specific plane. "Why, yes I do," I said, thinking about my roots, my old buddies and the high school dances. Especially Artimus, who had three broken ribs and multiple large cuts. Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. The two men, for a while, were the only able-bodied persons present to help pull people from the wreckage. Everyone knows him as "Governor." . Check your inbox to be the first to know the hottest news. "Are you writing a book?" He, like me, was 21-years-old at the time. Photo: Uncle Johns Bathroom Reader. Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. Click to reveal And the hardest-working rock 'n' roll band in America was about to run out of gas. A tragic scene no person would ever wish to see or soon forget. It Crashed, Killing 3 Members, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Drinking, Fighting, Hell-Raising: The Classic Skynyrd Lineup In Pittsburgh, Associate Press Mississippi Road Signs For Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash Site, Hollywood Reporter Appeals Court Reverses Ban on Lynyrd Skynyrd Movie, Ronnie Van Zant Of Lynyrd Skynyrd Predicted His Own Death, Groove History, 1977 Missippi Convair CV-240 Plane Crash, Wikipedia, History Collection The Deadliest Plane Crash in Canada Killed 248 Soldiers in 1985, History Collection A Plane Crashed into the Empire State Building (1945). He was known as Papa Ronnie. Natural causes were to blame. He also knew I had no business there, but his face told me he knew I was beginning a new career that night. It was the last flight of Lynyrd Skynyrd: Oct. 20, 1977, the night they . His only help at that moment was his neighbor, Dwain Easley. "We didn't know how much gas was on the ground. 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. Rossington and keyboardist Billy Powell are now the only founding members in the band. He drove down from his home in Oakland, Miss. 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. Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. 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. Artimus has had many ups and downs since then, several incarcerations, and a huge falling out with Gary. I didn't know where this was going. It was Dr. Hank Lewis, a month shy of 78-years-old. Toxicology tests were also ordered to determine whether there were drugs in his system at the time. As he looked around the scene, his mind went back. Totaled, decimated, and left for dead. Rescue vehicles on the ground found no direct path in sight. Billy Powell would be in the new starting line-up of Lynyrd Skynyrd until his death in 2009. A Convair CV-240. 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. The fuselage turned sideways, and everybody was hurled forward.. The three injured men hiked some distance from the crash site, through swampy woods, and finally flagged down farmer Johnny Mote, who had come to investigate. 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. A medical examiner said on Sunday that Wilkeson suffered from chronic liver and lung disease, and most likely died of natural causes. A small plane with 40 seats and two props the plane was anything but extraordinary. All of the seats were ripped from the frame of the plane, landing in the front section of the crash. The albums that followed featured a plain black background. 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. There is some speculation as to why the second engine had ultimately failed. But soon, the helicopters that were heard and seen previously were on the scene. It was rumored that it was Ed Kings (original guitar player for Lynyrd Skynyrd) wife but it was not confirmed. My college roommate was a young photojournalist. 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. I'm from southern Thailand. There were 24 passengers and two crew members aboard the aircraft. "I saw the blond hair," he said. Cause of death: Car accident. Was there a guest book?". Artimus Pyle emerged with several broken ribs, and bleeding everywhere you could. I was not there to be a gawker or to get in the way. Street Survivors became the band's second platinum album, and was the #5 top selling album on the U.S. album chart. Cassie Gaines Lynard Skynyrd plane crash was one of the band's most challenging moments. The only thing left was a trail of debris and people. A little after the two-hour mark, however, events started to unfold that would soon make history. Billy Powell would be in the new starting line-up of Lynyrd Skynyrd until his death in 2009. Medical personnel arrived and began to ferry out the injured and the dead. Totaled, decimated, and left for dead. Photo: Pinterest. Lynyrd Skynyrd is no doubt an American staple in music and southern rock culture. Cassie Gaines mother was LaRue, while her father was Bud. Here are 10 facts about Lynyrd Skynyrd and their fateful end. He says he first came in the 80s after he graduated. A tragic scene no person would ever wish to see or soon forget. Steve Gaines was killed instantly upon impact and his sister Cassie Gaines perished as well. "That solidified that idea. After claiming his deceased son, Lacy Van Zant went to visit the other members of the band at the hospital. Also Known As: Cassie LaRue Gaines Died At Age: 29 Family: mother: Cassie LaRue Gaines Died Young Rock Singers Died on: October 20, 1977 place of death: Gillsburg, Mississippi, United States U.S. State: Oklahoma Cause of Death: Plane Crash Recommended Lists: American Celebrities Film & Theater Personalities American Women Women Singers At the time of her death she survived by her large extended friends and family. ", "I never cared about flying in an airplane," he said. Marc Frank remembers seeing complete and total despair. Some blame it on the planes age and poor design, weighing in on its smaller fuselage and compact wingspan. By then, a Coast Guard helicopter was hovering overhead. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. Johnny Mote and his ragtag team were first on the crash site. The Vintage News Aerosmith Said No, Lynyrd Skynyrd Said Yes To The Plane. Among them were Lacy Van Zant, Ronnies Father, and .38 Specials Guitarist Dan Barnes. As the Houston Press reports, the crash took Van Zant's life, as well as the lives of band member Steve Gaines and his sister, backup singer Cassie; and Dean Kilpatrick, the assistant road manager. His post noted that he and many others had made pilgrimages for years to the site to pay their respects. Marc Frank recalled hearing both engines on the plane then within a matter of minutes, just air passing over the cabin. It would be another hour before I heard the big news. 2023 Getty Images. I admired his ability to tell gripping stories with his camera, so I began considering a career change. Then on the other side, it was Allen in the middle of Dean and Cassie. 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. The plane finally slammed into the earth, and Billy Powell recalls saying, We hit the trees at approximately 90 mph. When the news broke that it was Lynyrd Skynyrd's tour plane, Nancy and I stared at each other. "Folks were all mashed together. I can't remember," he said. Her brother was Skynyrd guitarist Steve Gaines. Assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, the pilot, and co-pilot Walter McCreary and William Gray also died. Making the original release cover more valuable to collectors than the second cover released just a few weeks after the album hit the shelves. Owners emphasize that trespassers can be prosecuted. 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. He had hunted squirrels along that very ridge. One band member, JoJo Billingsly, was not on the flight. Two of them were crew members, pilot Walter McReary and co-pilot William Gray, the rest were band members and roadies. "They stopped, straight back there," he said, and pointed to the tree line a quarter mile across open hay fields and woods. Shining from what seemed to be a small house on a dairy farm. ", Other questions:subscriberservices@theadvocate.com. All the surrounding land is privately owned and prominently marked with "No Trespassing" signs. Rock Musician. "But using a phone out here is worthless," he said, and even with his expertise, he had trouble finding the exact spot of the crash site. "I've been coming for years," he said, "and I've never met anyone who was here that night. Street Survivors was released just three days before the crash and would quickly become a hit. All he could think was that they must be from a recent a jailbreak," she said. Among them were Lacy Van Zant, Ronnies Father, and .38 Specials Guitarist Dan Barnes. Artimus Pyle emerged with several broken ribs, and bleeding everywhere you could. Contributing to the fuel exhaustion were inadequate flight planning and an engine malfunction of undetermined nature in the engine which resulted in higher than normal fuel consumption.". Photo: obviousmag.org. He pulled the lifeless body of Cassie Gaines up by her belt. Victims were taken to the hospital in McComb, Mississippi by ambulances and other vehicles. I told him that it was the strongest thing I had seen a man do.. 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. An old high school friend, Bobby McDaniel, posted a photo and a comment about a name-carved tree from the crash site. The band buckled in. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, K-Pop isnt the only hot ticket in Koreatown how trot is captivating immigrants, Daisy Jones & the Six becomes the first fictional band to hit No. Collins recovered and began performing again, eventually forming the Allen Collins Band. The tree where the cockpit came to rest has long-since died. Headline from a local newspaper reporting the crash. There have been several different theories as to the culprits of this . Mother of Lynyrd Skynyrd members Cassie Gaines and Steve Gaines. Its many hit songs include "Freebird," "Sweet Home Alabama," "Gimme Three Steps" and "Simple Man.". The band regularly has different people sit in and play shows with them like Warren Haynes and Dicky Betts. 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. In the ensuing chaos, souvenir hunters took billfolds, jewelry, suitcases, band merchandise and even chunks of metal from the crash site. He lifted one after another and shuffled them to others outside. I began the classic guitar lick. You have permission to edit this article. When he was sober, he was a fair and kind person. Johnny headed for the crash site to see if he could help. Aerosmiths band management at the time was looking at a Convair CV-240. The years after the crash would be difficult in its own right for surviving members, most of which would experience tragedy and early death themselves. 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. It was Steve, and me, and Ronnie and I was in the middle of them. She was born on 9th January 1948 in Missouri, USA. Dean Kilpatrick, the bands manager, lay dead and covered in blood. Marc Frank was beaten terribly and was also covered in lacerations and blood.

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