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. At the time of her death, she was 29 years old. Where Did We Find This Stuff? I'm still not sure why. Steve Gaines was killed instantly upon impact and his sister Cassie Gaines perished as well. With the dust settled from a plane crash that would make a small Mississippi town famous, everything that surrounded the few conscious and able survivors were completely horrific and getting darker by the second. The tail section broke off, the cockpit broke off and buckled underneath, then both wings broke off. After the death of three of their members, the band decided to change the cover photo of the album, which initially featured a picture of the band engulfed in flames. The two men, for a while, were the only able-bodied persons present to help pull people from the wreckage. 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. 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. Two of them were crew members, pilot Walter McReary and co-pilot William Gray, the rest were band members and roadies. After I led him to the downtown McComb offices, I returned home, developed my film in a clumsy bathroom darkroom and went to sleep. It was Steve, and me, and Ronnie and I was in the middle of them. Leslie Hawkins sustained a concussion, broke her neck in three places and had severe facial lacerations. A little after the two-hour mark, however, events started to unfold that would soon make history. He had known Easley Creek since his youth. His only help at that moment was his neighbor, Dwain Easley. The accident essentially destroyed one of the unique voices of American rock and roll. "Seems like everyone is writing a book. "I'd never seen anything like that," he said. 10 Details About the Fatal Plane Crash that Was the Death of Lynyrd If you look closely, Ronnie Van Zant and Steve Gaines (2 of 3 band members to die in the crash) are completely engulfed in flames, whereas the rest of the band is merely standing around in the streets of fire. 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. Photo: hu.wikipedia.com. But soon, the helicopters that were heard and seen previously were on the scene. Governor said, "I'm bad about leaving an empty beer bottle and a full one for Ronnie and the boys" each year. The band leased a new Convair CV-240 to help them get between shows easier. The album had deeper meaning than most. The tragic story of Lynyrd Skynyrd members death - Rock And Roll Garage A tragic scene no person would ever wish to see or soon forget. I'm really not sure anymore," he said. She was planning to join the tour in Little Rock on October 23, three days after the crash. Lynyrd Skynyrd stops for a shot in 1973. The will to carry on was strong, however, Pyle being a US Marine, would live out the phrase Semper Fidelis which means always faithful. He needed to use their darkroom to get his photos out. I can't remember," he said. However, other band members convinced her otherwise. Among them were Lacy Van Zant, Ronnies Father, and .38 Specials Guitarist Dan Barnes. I couldn't stand it. Cassie Gaines was a talented and committed backup singer for the Lynard Skynyrd music band until she died in a plane crash. They were directing him to the property next to his family's farm. Allen Collins kept moving on, eventually getting together with Gary Rossington to form the Rossington Collins Band. Click to reveal Steve Gaines was killed instantly upon impact and his sister Cassie Gaines perished as well. Powell's nose had been nearly ripped from his face after crashing head first through a table. 10 Details About the Fatal Plane Crash that Was the Death of Lynyrd Photo: obviousmag.org. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. I was not there to be a gawker or to get in the way. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. It was there that he struck up a fractured conversation. Powell also claimed that Ronnie Van Zant's head had been smashed. His only help at that moment was his neighbor, Dwain Easley. All of the seats were ripped from the frame of the plane, landing in the front section of the crash. 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." In the ensuing chaos, souvenir hunters took billfolds, jewelry, suitcases, band merchandise and even chunks of metal from the crash site. "They seemed to be chasing him, trying to flag him down. "They'd busted bales of hay in the bed to soften the ride," he said. The album had two notable songs: Whats your name and That Smell. He had been impaled by a part of the fuselage and it pushed through his body and projected out of his back. He had hunted squirrels along that very ridge. 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. When he was sober, he was a fair and kind person. The band buckled in. One band member, JoJo Billingsly, was not on the flight. And it left Teresa Gaines a widow. Collins recovered and began performing again, eventually forming the Allen Collins Band. 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.". Remembering Lynyrd Skynyrd's Deadly 1977 Plane Crash As medical personnel triaged the scene, he helped carry the litters of the injured and the dead across the creek to a waiting 4-wheel-drive pickup truck. He could hear the people moaning, pleading for help. That farm belonged to a young dairy farmer named Johnny Mote. She was requested to join the band as a backing vocalist. 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. From left to right: Allen Collins, Ronnie Van Zant, And Gary Rossington. 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. Powell's nose had been nearly ripped from his face after crashing head first through a table. She died from excessive bleeding as her throat had been cut from ear to ear. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. The other two members were JoJo Billingsley and Leslie Hawkins. He suffered a heart attack . Allen's wife would bleed to death due to a miscarriage. Photo: Uncle Johns Bathroom Reader. Band members Artimus Pyle and Billy Powell entered the cockpit to get an idea of what was happening. There are just too few physical landmarks. The pilots were still in their seats, but were laying upside down in nearby trees. Lynyrd Skynyrd stops for a shot in 1973. Who died in the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash? The fuselage turned sideways, and everybody was hurled forward.. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. But I loved the bonding. As the three marched on, feet soaking wet from the water, all odds seemed stacked against the trio. Wilkeson suffered severe internal injuries, including a punctured lung, and had most of his teeth knocked out. 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. If a band couldn't play Skynyrd, they didn't get hired for the school dance. 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. A tragic scene no person would ever wish to see or soon forget. The events before the plane crash are perhaps the most bone-chilling ones you'd ever hear. His luck, however, was on the short end of the stick as he would have his throat slit while on the Lynyrd Skynyrd tour bus in the early 90s. He, like me, was 21-years-old at the time. Mote was putting out square bales of hay for the cattle when he heard what sounded "like a car crash on a gravel road." At the end of the day, Ronnie and the boys are gone and we lost a rock n roll angel on October 20, 1977. He later caused a controversy by giving a lurid account of Cassie Gaines' final moments on a VH1 Behind The Music special about the band, claiming that the backing singer's throat was cut from ear to ear and that she bled to death in his arms. Ronnie had died instantly upon impact, his head slamming into a tree. 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. Ronnies mother Marion refused to make the flight, after seeing a horrific plane crash of her own that killed 9 people. However, they were apparently talked into using it just one more time which happened to be their last ride. Three crew members died in a plane crash just three days after the release of their 5th album. 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. Over the weekend, the message boards on the official Web site were flooded with messages of lament for the "living legend," "free bird," and simple man.". 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. How did Cassie Gaines get in Lynyrd Skynyrd? Their lyrics were raw and fresh - honest and simple. From left to right: Allen Collins, Ronnie Van Zant, And Gary Rossington. Lynyrd Skynyrd is a FANDOM Music Community. 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. I had never seen anything like it before. He drove down from his home in Oakland, Miss. "We didn't know how much gas was on the ground. In an interview in the book Walk This Way, Aerosmith's assistant chief of flight operations Zunk Buker tells of seeing pilots McCreary and Gray trading a bottle of Jack Daniels back and forth while Buker and his father were inspecting the plane. The pilots were still in their seats, but were laying upside down in nearby trees. Before long, he noticed three men emerge from the dense woods along the pasture. Mote recalls the first thing he saw was a bloody hand sticking out from the wreckage. It sounded great to us. As the three marched on, feet soaking wet from the water, all odds seemed stacked against the trio. Artimus has had many ups and downs since then, several incarcerations, and a huge falling out with Gary. Totaled, decimated, and left for dead. The location sounded familiar so he asked them to repeat. "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. Among them were Lacy Van Zant, Ronnies Father, and .38 Specials Guitarist Dan Barnes. She was born on 9th January 1948 in Missouri, USA. Some of the guys were playing poker. Part of the preparations required contacting landowners and securing permission to be there and a guide to lead me in. Artimus Pyle emerged with several broken ribs, and bleeding everywhere you could. The tail section broke off, the cockpit broke off and buckled underneath, then both wings broke off. But I couldn't stand it any longer. Turns out that Cassie didn't want to board that particular flight and had blatantly refused to travel on that plane. The albums that followed featured a plain black background. "I was well prepared with advanced trauma life support training," he said, "and (I was) a flight surgeon in the military. Almost as mysteriously, the full bottle is never seen again. Most of the 20 survivors were taken to Southwest Regional Medical Center in McComb, where the lobby had been transformed into a makeshift emergency treatment center to quickly deal with the onslaught of plane crash victims. Mother of Lynyrd Skynyrd members Cassie Gaines and Steve Gaines. My younger brother and I banged out "Freebird" on a cheap set of drums in our bedroom. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. 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. Everyone on the flight, except for Ronnie Van Zant, was feeling uneasy and restless. Assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, the pilot, and co-pilot Walter McCreary and William Gray also died. He had been hospitalized since September. Cassie Gaines mother was LaRue, while her father was Bud. There were 26 people on that fateful flight. 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. Laying on the ground, still alive for only a moment, to slowly bleed to death. 10 Details About the Fatal Plane Crash that Was the Death of Lynyrd 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. ", "And everybody says they were the first one there. The other band members Collins, Gary Rossington, Wilkeson, Powell, Artimus Pyle, and Hawkins, tour manager Ron Eckerman, and several road crew suffered . But not all had the intentions of lending a helping hand. I admired his ability to tell gripping stories with his camera, so I began considering a career change. Pyle, Frank, and Peden were met with hostility when they finally came up to Mote. Photo: thetv.info. One of the three men was the band's drummer Artimus Pyle, who yelled, "Plane crash." Some blame it on the planes age and poor design, weighing in on its smaller fuselage and compact wingspan. Cassie was 29 years old at the time of death. The pilot and co-pilot also died; 20 others aboard lived. Birth Name: Cassie LaRue Gaines Occupation: Rock Singer Place Of Birth: Missouri Date Of Birth: January 9, 1948 Date Of Death: October 20, 1977 Cause Of Death: N/A Ethnicity: White Nationality: American Cassie Gaines was born on the 9th of January, 1948. I marked my calendar and made arrangements. Gary Rossington, one of the bands guitar players, had suffered two broken arms, a broken leg, a punctured stomach and liver. It was there where he was found dead in his room on July 27. Owners emphasize that trespassers can be prosecuted. "Are you writing a book?" Tremendous physical pain overwhelmed the group as did mental exhaustion. One guy standing near the wreckage lit a cigarette and I tackled him," he said. What happened to the Menendez brothers' money? "You like Lynyrd Skynyrd?" Other band members were injured, some very seriously. As we walked, Easely pointed to a towering pine. The plane finally slammed into the earth, and Billy Powell recalls saying, We hit the trees at approximately 90 mph. 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. Without wanting to cause alarm he thought to himself that maybe the pilots were trying to transfer fuel from one engine to another. 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. In addition to his fractured ribcage, Artimus Pyle was treated for numerous abrasions and contusions. Gary Rossington, one of the bands guitar players, had suffered two broken arms, a broken leg, a punctured stomach and liver. Steve Gaines (1949-1977) - Find a Grave Memorial The tree where the cockpit came to rest has long-since died. 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. For another crash scene veteran, this was also his first return visit in 38 years. I told him that it was the strongest thing I had seen a man do.. 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. Marc Frank, a 24-year-old roadie traveling with the band, noticed what seemed to be fuel spewing from the right engine. On 20th October 1977, the Lynyrd Skynyrd boarded a chartered Convair CV-240 to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, after their performance in Greenville, South Carolina. So, we're both southerners.". She said her husband grabbed his .243 hunting rifle, ran out and fired a warning shot. Photo: obviousmag.org. Everyone knows him as "Governor." Ronnie Van Zant enjoying a stog before a show. Truth be known, after 38 years, Martin is a little tired of talking about the whole thing. Home; Memorials; Cemeteries; Famous; Contribute; Register; Sign In; Register; Sign In; . Mote fired a warning shot in the air. Here are 10 facts about Lynyrd Skynyrd and their fateful end. What injuries did Cassie Gaines die from? Lynyrd Skynyrd did not plan on keeping the plane for long. With that cue, Governor took the honors and introduced everyone as Gabel's mouth gaped in disbelief. One of them being completely decapitated.