New Details Surrounding The Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash

On October 20, 1977, a Convair CV-240 twin-prop passenger plane carrying the band members and crew of Lynyrd Skynyrd ran out of fuel and crashed into a swampy, wooded marsh near Gillsburg, Mississippi.

The plane was en route to Baton Rouge, Louisiana after the band had finished playing a set in Greenville, South Carolina. 6 of the 26 passengers on board the aircraft were killed.

Lead singer and songwriter Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve gains, and his sister and backing vocalist Cassie Gaines were 3 of the causalities of the incident. Dean Kilpatrick, the band's road manager, and both the pilot and co-pilot also perished in the crash.

This video is going to detail the events of that horrific evening. Find out the shocking events that led up to the crash and what became of the band afterward.

Like this content? Subscribe here:
https://www.youtube.com/factsverse?sub_confirmation=1

Or, watch more videos here:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkXAntdjbcSKgHx6EQVOwNKVz1cR2hKVw

Tragedy struck on October 29, 1977, leaving a lingering sadness that haunted the music industry for years to come.

Just three days after dropping their fifth studio album, Street Survivors, southern rock legends Lynyrd Skynyrd played a show at the Greenville Memorial Auditorium in Greenville, North Carolina. Little did they know that it would be the last time that the founding members of the band would perform with each other.

After wrapping up the concert, the band members and crew boarded a Convair CV-240 dual prop airplane en route to Baton Rouge, Louisiana where they were scheduled to perform their next show at Louisiana State University.

Halfway through the flight, the pilots made the startling realization that the craft was insufficiently fueled for the voyage. Suddenly, the right propeller stopped functioning and in an attempt to transfer fuel from the left engine to the right, the flight crew accidentally jettisoned the remainder of their fuel into the atmosphere.

Once they realized that they didn't have enough fuel to make it to their destination, they attempted to reroute to the closest airport - McComb-Pike Airport just a couple of miles outside of McComb, Mississippi.

The pilots were horrified when they figured out that they lacked even the sufficient fuel to even make it there. It was only moments after coming to terms with this horrid reality that the left propeller stopped working as well. They would have to attempt an emergency landing in an open field if they wanted any chance of survival.

Meanwhile, the passengers onboard were completely obvious to the dire situation that they all were in. Skynryd vocalist Ronnie Van Zant was huddled up with a pillow fast asleep in the aisle at the rear of the plane. He had spent the previous evening partying and was in desperate need of a little shut-eye.

Other passengers were playing poker trying to pass the time. Then Artimus Pyle decided to pay the flight crew in the cockpit a visit. As soon as he stepped into the cabin he was informed by a panic-stricken pilot by the name of Walter McCreary that he should immediately go back to his seat and strap himself in.

The gravity of the situation was now readily apparent and the unsettling news swept across the fuselage. Most people just sat in silence, closing their eyes and clenching their fists, while others sat and quietly prayed hoping that divine intervention might save them from their plight.

Gary Rossington, Skynyrd's guitarist and one of the fortunate survivors of the incident, recalls hearing what sounded like countless metal baseball bats hitting the underside of the plane as the craft glided over a patch of trees. As they skimmed the trees for nearly a thousand feet, the noise got louder and louder until it was absolutely deafening. Once the plane started crumbling, a piece of debris knocked Rossington unconscious.

After skimming the treeline, the plane smashed into a large tree and disintegrated into several pieces ejecting the passengers onto the forest floor.

When Rossington came through several minutes later, the plane had been obliterated and the woods were on fire. The plane's door was pinned on top of him but he was able to free himself despite being in a foggy haze.

Most of the survivors had all been seated toward the rear of the plane but no one was spared from serious injury. As soon as emergency first responders arrived on the scene, everyone was rushed to various hospitals.

In addition to losing frontman Ronnie Van Zant, Guitarist Steve Gaines, backing vocalist Cassie Gaines, and Skynyrd's road manager Dean Kilpatrick were all killed upon impact. Both pilot Walter McCreary and co-pilot William Gray also perished.

What's your favorite Lynyrd Skynyrd song? Are you a Free Bird fan or is Sweet Home Alabama more of your cup of tea? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.

And before you go, make sure you give us a like and subscribe to our channel if you haven't already.

Видео New Details Surrounding The Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash канала Facts Verse