Things were going so well. "It was the saddest thing," she recalls, 11 years later. Original cover for Street Survivors, 1977Notably, the third member of The Honkettes, JoJo Billingsley, was not on the plane and in fact was home tending to a family member's illness. I threw it in reverse and plowed into my mother-in-law's car. 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. He had hunted squirrels along that very ridge. Was there a guest book?". ", "There were plenty of old boys standing around here. A towering beech tree stands sentinel on the west side of the creek, carefully carved with scores of knurled epithets. 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. Ronnies mother Marion refused to make the flight, after seeing a horrific plane crash of her own that killed 9 people. Rudge chartered three planes for loved ones to identify the bodies. The site is hard to access. At the time of her death she survived by her large extended friends and family. The album would go through several cover changes and would mark a new era for the guys. Van Zant died instantly of blunt force trauma to the head. There have been several different theories as to the culprits of this unfortunate crashing that point the finger toward watcher by Artimus, as well as the pilots of the plane themselves. Los Angeles, Billie Eilishs phone is now internet-free: Im like: Ew! Rescuers look over the wreckage of the 1977 Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash. The plane finally slammed into the earth, and Billy Powell recalls saying, We hit the trees at approximately 90 mph. 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. I photographed their wedding. A plane crash left lead singer Ronnie Van Zandt, lead guitarist Steve Gaines and backup singer Cassie Gaines dead. These combinations of poorly built aircraft and less than acceptable crew quickly led to the dismissal of the band leasing out their services. Collins entered the hospital with pneumonia symptoms and was in a coma the last few days, said longtime friend Ann Thompson. Don't look like they can afford a ticket. Unfortunately, their plane ran short of fuel. I began the classic guitar lick. Shining from what seemed to be a small house on a dairy farm. The aircraft crashed in a heavily wooded area during an attempted emergency landing. Cassie Gaines - Wikipedia 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, like me, was 21-years-old at the time. 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. Lynyrd Skynyrd stops for a shot in 1973. The original cover was restored after the 30th anniversary of the album. He was more in the image I was pre-visualizing - one of an aging rocker. Artimus has had many ups and downs since then, several incarcerations, and a huge falling out with Gary. Drummer Artimus Pyle crawled out of the plane wreckage with several broken ribs, but was ambulatory, as were road crew members Kenneth Peden Jr. and Mark Frank. 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. "Seems like everyone is writing a book. Where Did We Find This Stuff? Cassie Gaines - Bio, Personal Life, Family & Cause Of Death - CelebsAges The rest of the group had no idea at the time that they would never see the face of Ronnie again. On hearing of the accident, Billingsley was so shaken that some of her hair fell out. Musician. Two of them were crew members, pilot Walter McReary and co-pilot William Gray, the rest were band members and roadies. 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. Ronnie had died instantly upon impact, his head slamming into a tree. Photo: hu.wikipedia.com. McDaniel was eager to join me. Sadly, it would end all to soon. They were directing him to the property next to his family's farm. 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. [2] Yen.com.gh shared an interesting piece on Bianca Lawson age, parents, husband, kids, net worth, and movies. In the beginning, the singer was reluctant to board the aircraft and had already bought another commercial flight ticket. 137.184.228.194 "Why, yes I do," I said, thinking about my roots, my old buddies and the high school dances. She said her husband grabbed his .243 hunting rifle, ran out and fired a warning shot. Over the ridge, a World War II vintage Willis Jeep crawled down a dusty logging trail. The will to carry on was strong, however, Pyle being a US Marine, would live out the phrase Semper Fidelis which means always faithful. Her mother passed away on 15th February 1979 in a car accident. The band has been on tour, and dates through the weekend have been cancelled. The album cover depicted the band members in an alleyway covered in flames. 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. Steve Gaines - Wikipedia News had spread about the crash and before too long an estimated 3,000 people had swarmed to the crash site. Both brother and sister were killed in the airplane crash that also took the life of Lynyrd Skynyrd vocalist Ronnie Van Zant. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. I told him that it was the strongest thing I had seen a man do.. In 1977, lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Stevie Gaines and Gaines sister, Cassie Gaines, were killed in a plane crash. All of the seats were ripped from the frame of the plane, landing in the front section of the crash. 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 the three marched on, feet soaking wet from the water, all odds seemed stacked against the trio. At the beginning of the flight, all was well, amid high tensions. 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." If a band couldn't play Skynyrd, they didn't get hired for the school dance. Especially Artimus, who had three broken ribs and multiple large cuts. At least one member, background singer Cassie Gaines, had refused to board the flight, but was convinced against her better judgment. Wilkeson would play in both Rossington Collins Band and the Allen Collins band. We had a friendly translator whose command of the English language was poor at best. Some blame it on the planes age and poor design, weighing in on its smaller fuselage and compact wingspan. Allen Collins kept moving on, eventually getting together with Gary Rossington to form the Rossington Collins Band. Johnny Mote and his ragtag team were first on the crash site. As we walked, Easely pointed to a towering pine. Medical personnel arrived and began to ferry out the injured and the dead. Lynyrd Skynyrd is a FANDOM Music Community. We were shocked, as were most others hearing the news. 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. 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 had been hospitalized since September. From left to right: Allen Collins, Ronnie Van Zant, And Gary Rossington. Assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, the pilot, and co-pilot Walter McCreary and William Gray also died. 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 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. 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. Photo: hu.wikipedia.com. I grabbed my camera and jumped in the car. 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. Billy Powell would be in the new starting line-up of Lynyrd Skynyrd until his death in 2009. Pianist Billy Powell survived, but his nose was nearly torn off and he suffered severe facial lacerations. It was Steve, and me, and Ronnie and I was in the middle of them. He also knew I had no business there, but his face told me he knew I was beginning a new career that night. The pilots tried an emergency landing, but the plane crashed in the woods near Gillsburg in Mississippi. So, we're both southerners.". 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. 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. Steve Gaines was killed instantly upon impact and his sister Cassie Gaines perished as well. Lynyrd Skynyrd disbanded after the airplane tragedy. Both Steve and Cassie Gaines were killed in the crash. The fuselage turned sideways, and everybody was hurled forward.. Cassie Gaines Birthday and Date of Death. 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. Marc Frank remembers seeing complete and total despair. 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. "The first thing I saw was a bloody hand reaching out from the debris. Her brother was Skynyrd guitarist Steve Gaines. Tremendous physical pain overwhelmed the group as did mental exhaustion. He obtained his first guitar at about age 14. Photo: thetv.info. 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. Despite this faux pas, Powell has been on good terms with the remaining band members since the incident. 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. But there wasn't any gas on the ground because they ran out of gas.". 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. Billy Powell, the bands keyboardist, received extensive facial lacerations and a broken right knee. He then assembled a convoy of trucks and four-wheelers to locate the crash site and rescue the survivors. Lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines and singer Cassie Gaines were all killed in the crash, and the band stopped performing and recording. Mote recalls the first thing he saw was a bloody hand sticking out from the wreckage. A costly mistake at 9,000ft or so. 5 spot, it was the bands first No. A Convair CV-240. Cassie joined the team and became one of the three members of The Honkette's, a female gospel vocal trio of Lynyrd Skynyrd. 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. That's when Mote connected the dots with the noise he had heard earlier. "They seemed to be chasing him, trying to flag him down. So, with little hesitation I decided I should join the dance. Bianca is a force to be reckoned with in the American film industry. Easley knows he wasn't the first on the site, but he was there early. The pilots would have to make an emergency landing. So we came out here and got busy. Artimus Pyle and Gary Rossington are the only two members alive today from the crash. July 30, 2001 -- Leon Wilkeson, bass player and founding member of Lynyrd Skynyrd, is dead at age 49. Artimus Pyle was also notoriously outspoken against the plane and on several occasions would take buses to shows. All reality had been broken and none of the surviving members would ever be the same or view life the same again. Pyle used the couple's phone to call his wife. Some of the guys were playing poker. He knew those woods well. Ronnie Van Zant enjoying a stog before a show. Who died in the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash? "Sweet Home Alabama" became the southern anthem for millions. I marked my calendar and made arrangements. The tail section broke off, the cockpit broke off and buckled underneath, then both wings broke off. Ronnies mother Marion refused to make the flight, after seeing a horrific plane crash of her own that killed 9 people. Losing daylight, the pilots desperately looked for an open field or some kind of saving grace. 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. The guys hit the dirt and yelling out with what they had left Hey! 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. Marc Frank recalled hearing both engines on the plane then within a matter of minutes, just air passing over the cabin. ", "I expected to see all dead people looking at these woods. Aerosmiths band management at the time was looking at a Convair CV-240. The singer died in the arms of the surviving band's keyboardist Billy Powell. The band would be marked for strife as just before their inaugural tour, Allens wife would bleed to death due to a miscarriage. Billy had taken too long on his intro to the song Free Bird and that didnt set well with Ronnie. One band member, JoJo Billingsly, was not on the flight. One of them being completely decapitated. "It was a lot wetter that night. Cassie Gaines Biography - Facts, Childhood, Family Life & Achievements 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. As we talked, we heard a racket through the trees. Several members of the band died in a plane crash that occurred on October 20, 1977, three days after the release of Street Survivors. Street Survivors was released just three days before the crash and would quickly become a hit. The news was shocking -- a plane crash near my hometown of McComb, Miss. It is a cautionary song about drug abuse that fans believed was aimed at one of the members. Lynyrd Skynyrd did not plan on keeping the plane for long. A medical examiner said on Sunday that Wilkeson suffered from chronic liver and lung disease, and most likely died of natural causes. It would be another hour before I heard the big news. Cassie was buried in Orange Park, Florida, together with her brother, Steve Gains. He pulled the lifeless body of Cassie Gaines up by her belt. 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. One such silent witness has found a way to talk. 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. 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. Headline from a local newspaper reporting the crash. How did Cassie Gaines get in Lynyrd Skynyrd? Artimus Pyle and Gary Rossington are the only two members alive today from the crash. Everyone just stood there helpless. In 1986, his car ran off a road and crashed into a culvert, paralyzing him from the waist down and killing his girlfriend. Martin said she then, "called 911, or 0, or whatever we called back then.". Cassie Gaines Death Fact Check, Birthday & Date of Death - Dead or Kicking Cassie Gaines Wiki, Biography, Age, Career, Relationship, Net Worth Skynyrd Crash Survivor Allen Collins Dies, 37 - Los Angeles Times 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. Marc Frank, a 24-year-old roadie traveling with the band, noticed what seemed to be fuel spewing from the right engine. 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. No one that hit the ground alive died. The fuselage turned sideways, and everybody was hurled forward.. Cassie Gaines died on the 20 th of October, 1977 in a plane crash at Gillsburg, Mississippi when she was only 29 years old. But I couldn't stand it any longer. Marc Frank, a 24-year-old roadie traveling with the band, noticed what seemed to be fuel spewing from the right engine. The tour is scheduled to run through mid-September. Laying on the ground, still alive for only a moment, to slowly bleed to death. However, it is believed that the pilots were trying to transfer oil from one engine to another when they accidentally jettisoned the fuel instead. Rossington recalls saying It was always weird for Allen and me because we were up front in the plane. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Laying on the ground, still alive for only a moment, to slowly bleed to death. Three crew members died in a plane crash just three days after the release of their 5th album. The official cause of death will be announced after toxicology test results come back in two to three weeks. She was famous for being part of the southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. I put them all to work. The other band members Collins, Gary Rossington, Wilkeson, Powell, Artimus Pyle, and Hawkins, tour manager Ron Eckerman, and several road crew suffered . 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 is best known as a guitarist and backing vocalist with rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd from 1976 until his death in the October 1977 airplane crash that claimed other band members and crew. On October 20, 1977, they would board a flight bound for Louisiana that would crash in Gillsberg, Missippi and claim the lives of band members Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines, Cassie Gaines, assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, along with Pilot Walter McCreary, and co-pilot William Gray. Video of a barechested Pyle at the 1979 Volunteer Jam does not show evidence of a gunshot wound. Among them were Lacy Van Zant, Ronnies Father, and .38 Specials Guitarist Dan Barnes.