The Truth Behind The Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash

For many, the name Lynyrd Skynyrd instantly conjures up the day in 1977 when three band members died in a plane crash in the woods of Mississippi. For Lynyrd Skynyrd fans, that day was one of the most tragic in rock history. Here's the truth behind the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash.

On October 20, 1977, Lynyrd Skynyrd was skyrocketing to fame and had several new members on the start of a three-month tour to promote their new album, Street Survivors. But they weren't exactly traveling in style. The plane chosen for their tour was an old 1948 Convair 240, a twin-engine prop that had already racked up over 29,000 flight hours. It was shaky enough that earlier in the year, Aerosmith had decided the plane was too dangerous to fly in.

Still, despite the protests of guitarist Allen Collins and head of security Gene Odom, Lynyrd Skynyrd decided to use it anyway, with band leader Ronnie Van Zant reportedly saying just before boarding,

"If the Lord wants you to die on this plane, when it's your time, it's your time."

It would prove tragically prophetic.

The plane took off at 4:02 p.m. from Greenville South Carolina, heading for Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with an estimated arrival time of 6:45 p.m. Pilot Walter McCreary notified the flight tower that they had roughly five hours of fuel on board, plenty for the flight.

But just a couple hours later, while still over Mississippi, McCreary contacted the Air Traffic Control Center in Houston, saying they were out of fuel. It was the last communication from the plane.

Band members were playing cards while Van Zant napped on the floor when the pilots suddenly alerted them that they were out of fuel. Drummer Artimus Pyle, a pilot himself, told everyone how to prepare for the crash. While some reportedly panicked, most just sat in silent prayer, hoping for a safe landing. Keep watching the video to see the truth behind the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash.

#LynyrdSkynyrd

The flight | 0:20
The crash | 1:37
The rescue | 2:40
The aftermath | 3:54
The healing process | 5:28
Lynyrd Skynyrd today | 6:50

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