. He knew those woods well. 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. She performed as a backup singer in popular hits such as One More Time and That Smell. In addition to his fractured ribcage, Artimus Pyle was treated for numerous abrasions and contusions. Here are 10 facts about Lynyrd Skynyrd and their fateful end. At the beginning of the flight, all was well, amid high tensions. Mote was putting out square bales of hay for the cattle when he heard what sounded "like a car crash on a gravel road." The Vintage News Aerosmith Said No, Lynyrd Skynyrd Said Yes To The Plane. Cassie joined the team and became one of the three members of The Honkette's, a female gospel vocal trio of Lynyrd Skynyrd. 10 Details About the Fatal Plane Crash that Was the Death of Lynyrd We were all fans. Suffocating the people on the bottom from the sheer weight. "He didn't want to talk about it for years.". His wife, Lola, and my wife grew up together. As they, too, were succumbing to the sub-par standards of the plane and crew. After claiming his deceased son, Lacy Van Zant went to visit the other members of the band at the hospital. Cassie Gaines - Wikipedia A Convair CV-240. One guy standing near the wreckage lit a cigarette and I tackled him," he said. Gary Rossington broke both his arms and both his legs in the crash, and took many months to recuperate. 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. Check your inbox to be the first to know the hottest news. 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. Tangled by underbrush and the 20-foot creek, the rescue team had to act and think fast. The only thing left was a trail of debris and people. I didn't know where this was going. However, other band members convinced her otherwise. Cassie Larue Gaines was an American singer. He was known as Papa Ronnie. Pilots Walter McCreary and William Gray were fully aware of a fuel shortage before the flight took off. It was there where he was found dead in his room on July 27. Crying, praying, and counting the dead to see who they would never hug, play music with, and enjoy company with again. Leon Wilkeson and Billy Powell would both go on to pursue other musical ventures and both have a hand in several Lynyrd Skynyrd re-boots. Soon after the plane would begin to jerk and shake violently. We were shocked, as were most others hearing the news. Allen Collins suffered two cracked vertebrae in his neck, and both Collins and Leon Wilkeson nearly had arms amputated as a result of crash injuries. Lead vocalist and founding member of the southern rock band, Ronnie Van Zant, also lost his life in the accident. I obviously didn't know what I was doing. He would eventually succumb to paralytic pneumonia while being treated in a hospital in 1990. The site is hard to access. 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. A towering beech tree stands sentinel on the west side of the creek, carefully carved with scores of knurled epithets. "New Orleans is a southern city. The album would reach gold in ten days after release and it would eventually go double platinum. We'd move one and there would be another one laying there." Powell's nose had been nearly ripped from his face after crashing head first through a table. Natural causes were to blame. An old high school friend, Bobby McDaniel, posted a photo and a comment about a name-carved tree from the crash site. It was Steve, and me, and Ronnie and I was in the middle of them. So on the prow of this small boat, plowing the coastal water on the other side of the world, he and I abandoned inhibition with an unabashed air guitar jam. Collins and other band members were severely injured. The band enjoyed national fame in the 1970s with such hits as Gimme Three Steps and Sweet Home Alabama.. All the surrounding land is privately owned and prominently marked with "No Trespassing" signs. He pulled the lifeless body of Cassie Gaines up by her belt. Cassie Gaines, Steve Gainess sister who were both bound for death in the crash, would routinely ride on the equipment bus rather than the plane. As we walked, Easely pointed to a towering pine. 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. "Live on my brother. "They stopped, straight back there," he said, and pointed to the tree line a quarter mile across open hay fields and woods. Steve Gaines was killed instantly upon impact and his sister Cassie Gaines perished as well. I had not realized before, but he also was there that night. 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 pilots were still in their seats, but were laying upside down in nearby trees. Marc Frank, a 24-year-old roadie traveling with the band, noticed what seemed to be fuel spewing from the right engine. The rest of the group had no idea at the time that they would never see the face of Ronnie again. 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. On the original pressing of the cover of Street Survivors was a photograph of the band engulfed in flames. Powell's nose had been nearly ripped from his face after crashing head first through a table. How do they know? A spokesperson for the band's record label said Wilkeson died in his sleep Friday at a hotel near Jacksonville, Florida. As the three marched on, feet soaking wet from the water, all odds seemed stacked against the trio. His post noted that he and many others had made pilgrimages for years to the site to pay their respects. A little after the two-hour mark, however, events started to unfold that would soon make history. No one that hit the ground alive died. 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. Powell also claimed that Ronnie Van Zant's head had been smashed. Band members Artimus Pyle and Billy Powell entered the cockpit to get an idea of what was happening. 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. A Convair CV-240, similar to the one in the crash. Cassie Gaines died on the 20 th of October, 1977 in a plane crash at Gillsburg, Mississippi when she was only 29 years old. Collect, curate and comment on your files. 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. At the end of the day, Ronnie and the boys are gone and we lost a rock n roll angel on October 20, 1977. The will to carry on was strong, however, Pyle being a US Marine, would live out the phrase Semper Fidelis which means always faithful. There have been several different theories as to the culprits of this . However, it is believed that the pilots were trying to transfer oil from one engine to another when they accidentally jettisoned the fuel instead. Ronnies mother Marion refused to make the flight, after seeing a horrific plane crash of her own that killed 9 people. Despite this faux pas, Powell has been on good terms with the remaining band members since the incident. Any debris left on the ground has long been buried. 10 Details About the Fatal Plane Crash that Was the Death of Lynyrd Marc Frank, a 24-year-old roadie traveling with the band, noticed what seemed to be fuel spewing from the right engine. 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. It would also be the first album that guitarist Steve Gaines would be the sole guitar player on. Thats when most of the sober members of the band saw that the right propeller was no longer working. It sounded great to us. 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. Photo: thetv.info. 5 spot, it was the bands first No. Medical personnel arrived and began to ferry out the injured and the dead. Steve Gaines was killed instantly upon impact and his sister Cassie Gaines perished as well. 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). As he looked around the scene, his mind went back. My younger brother and I banged out "Freebird" on a cheap set of drums in our bedroom. I'd deal with that later. I had a small studio, making a living mostly painting signs for local businesses. Owners emphasize that trespassers can be prosecuted. Lynyrd Skynyrd was known for their hard-rocking style, driven by powerful guitars. Natural causes were to blame. 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 I began the classic guitar lick. Artimus Pyle was also notoriously outspoken against the plane and on several occasions would take buses to shows. Street Survivors was released just three days before the crash and would quickly become a hit. He was more in the image I was pre-visualizing - one of an aging rocker. read another typical message of mourning. The tree where the cockpit came to rest has long-since died. The album cover depicted the band members in an alleyway covered in flames. The cover would quickly be changed to a more bland blacked-out background with the band in the same pose after the accident. The accident essentially destroyed one of the unique voices of American rock and roll. Pilots Walter McCreary and William Gray were fully aware of a fuel shortage before the flight took off. Cassie Gaines Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images 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. As the three marched on, feet soaking wet from the water, all odds seemed stacked against the trio. The band was reaching fever pitch with its fans across the South and the nation. Almost four decades later, I noticed a seemingly innocuous post on Facebook. A tragic scene no person would ever wish to see or soon forget. Almost as mysteriously, the full bottle is never seen again. But we were both enjoying it. I marked my calendar and made arrangements. He had already finished a film about the plane crash when Gary and several others stepped in and placed a lawsuit against the film to not be shown to the public. "The first thing I saw was a bloody hand reaching out from the debris. The aircraft was destroyed by impact; there was no fire. He suffered a heart attack . 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. Martin said she then, "called 911, or 0, or whatever we called back then.". All reality had been broken and none of the surviving members would ever be the same or view life the same again. Billy had taken too long on his intro to the song Free Bird and that didnt set well with Ronnie. It would be another hour before I heard the big news. 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. Artimus Pyle emerged with several broken ribs, and bleeding everywhere you could. She was hesitant because she had seen a small fire in one of the engines the previous day. Gary continues on the band with Ronnies brother, Johnny Van Zant, and guitarist Ricky Medlocke. Her brother was Skynyrd guitarist Steve Gaines. Photo: Uncle Johns Bathroom Reader. At the time of her death she survived by her large extended friends and family. "If (that tree) could talk, it'd tell you all about it," he said. But soon, the helicopters that were heard and seen previously were on the scene. The guys hit the dirt and yelling out with what they had left Hey! Band confidant, Gene Odum, is privately interviewed to share his story on what happened on this awful day in history. 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. His only help at that moment was his neighbor, Dwain Easley. His first band recorded its debut at Sun Recording Studio in Memphis, and later bands included RIO Smokehouse and Rusty Day. 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. No discernable landmarks remained, save the creek bed. Cassie Gaines was a talented and committed backup singer for the Lynard Skynyrd music band until she died in a plane crash. Leon Wilkeson and Billy Powell would both go on to pursue other musical ventures and both have a hand in several Lynyrd Skynyrd re-boots. Willing to lend a hand and stick by his bandmates, he was hard to beat when standing by your side. Cassie Gaines - Bio, Personal Life, Family & Cause Of Death - CelebsAges There were 24 passengers and two crew members aboard the aircraft. 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. Marc Frank recalled hearing both engines on the plane then within a matter of minutes, just air passing over the cabin. We always wondered why, you know. The surviving members would grapple with this throughout their days. Easley knows he wasn't the first on the site, but he was there early. Gary Rossington, one of the bands guitar players, had suffered two broken arms, a broken leg, a punctured stomach and liver. A design that would most likely lead to the infamous crash. Tremendous physical pain overwhelmed the group as did mental exhaustion. When the news broke that it was Lynyrd Skynyrd's tour plane, Nancy and I stared at each other. to gather a few more. Photo: obviousmag.org. Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. From left to right: Allen Collins, Ronnie Van Zant, And Gary Rossington. Laying on the ground, still alive for only a moment, to slowly bleed to death. In addition to his fractured ribcage, Artimus Pyle was treated for numerous abrasions and contusions. The fuselage turned sideways, and everybody was hurled forward.. 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. Everyone was afraid of riding on this plane. Artimus Pyle emerged with several broken ribs, and bleeding everywhere you could. Victims were taken to the hospital in McComb, Mississippi by ambulances and other vehicles. Headline from a local newspaper reporting the crash. How did Cassie Gaines of the southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd die? - Yen 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. The other band members Collins, Gary Rossington, Wilkeson, Powell, Artimus Pyle, and Hawkins, tour manager Ron Eckerman, and several road crew suffered . The two men, for a while, were the only able-bodied persons present to help pull people from the wreckage. he said, barely able to get his English to suit his thoughts. Truth be known, after 38 years, Martin is a little tired of talking about the whole thing. 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. Everyone was afraid of riding on this plane. Suffocating the people on the bottom from the sheer weight. Some of the guys were playing poker. I'm from southern Thailand. Lynyrd Skynyrd is a staple on rock, classic rock, and southern radio stations. 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. Wilkeson cheated death in 1977, surviving a crash of the band's chartered plane. 2023 Getty Images. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 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. Ronnie had died instantly upon impact, his head slamming into a tree. I threw it in reverse and plowed into my mother-in-law's car. 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. Other band members were injured, some very seriously. Without wanting to cause alarm he thought to himself that maybe the pilots were trying to transfer fuel from one engine to another. The plane finally slammed into the earth, and Billy Powell recalls saying, We hit the trees at approximately 90 mph. Wilkeson would eventually be found dead in a hotel room in 2001 at age 49. McDaniel was eager to join me. Bianca is an American actress. "They'd busted bales of hay in the bed to soften the ride," he said. Pyle claimed in a February 2007 appearance on Howard Stern's Sirius radio program that Mote had shot him; Mote has always denied shooting the drummer. 10 Details About the Fatal Plane Crash that Was the Death of Lynyrd For another crash scene veteran, this was also his first return visit in 38 years. 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. 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 whole scene tore him apart. Wilkeson would eventually be found dead in a hotel room in 2001 at age 49. ", But with no experience he morphed from a dairy farmer to a rescuer. It felt like being hit with baseball bats in a steel garbage can with the lid on. Brenda Martin, 17 at the time, lived with her husband, Johnny Mote (now divorced) in their mobile home on the north side of the crash site. Aerosmiths management passed on the opportunity to call this plane their own. The next morning I looked over them, made a few small prints and forgot about them. All reality had been broken and none of the surviving members would ever be the same or view life the same again. He would eventually succumb to paralytic pneumonia while being treated in a hospital in 1990. Click to reveal It was going to be the replacement for Douglas C3s with a pressurized cabin that was then just being mandated as a rule for commercial airlines. The site has drawn visitors over the years. 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.