Van Zant, Steve and Cassie Gaines, Kilpatrick and the pilots were laid in a temporary morgue at a local high school gymnasium. Marc Frank was beaten terribly and was also covered in lacerations and blood. "Why, yes I do," I said, thinking about my roots, my old buddies and the high school dances. Tangled by underbrush and the 20-foot creek, the rescue team had to act and think fast. Pilots Walter McCreary and William Gray were fully aware of a fuel shortage before the flight took off. Mike Rounsaville also arrived in the jeep with Dr. Lewis. Lynyrd Skynyrd disbanded after the airplane tragedy. Stinky! Minutes later he was guiding an ambulance through an overgrown trail. But I couldn't stand it any longer. he said, barely able to get his English to suit his thoughts. Allen's wife would bleed to death due to a miscarriage. Aerosmiths band management at the time was looking at a Convair CV-240. She was sick and would meet up with the band in Arkansas to continue the tour. It was there that he struck up a fractured conversation. 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. As the bulletins continued, they became more descriptive: "Tractors were pulling ambulances across a creek" was one exaggerated quote I remember so well. But soon, the helicopters that were heard and seen previously were on the scene. Even though she survived the actual crash, she eventually bled to death before the rescue team could reach her. The reason behind this? Lynyrd Skynyrd is a staple on rock, classic rock, and southern radio stations. That farm belonged to a young dairy farmer named Johnny Mote. "They'd busted bales of hay in the bed to soften the ride," he said. I can't remember," he said. The plane had completely disintegrated. We were shocked, as were most others hearing the news. Dean Kilpatrick, the bands manager, lay dead and covered in blood. It was the last flight of Lynyrd Skynyrd: Oct. 20, 1977, the night they . I told him that it was the strongest thing I had seen a man do.. 5 album. Cassie Gaines, a member of the backing vocal trio known as the Honkettes and sister of guitarist Steve Gaines, was so petrified that she nearly squeezed in the band's cramped equipment truck. Deceased people hanging from trees, the other survivors moaning for help of any kind, and completely surrounded by a black swamp whose canopy is blocking the only light that is trying so desperately to shine through. We always wondered why, you know. The surviving members would grapple with this throughout their days. It was rumored that it was Ed Kings (original guitar player for Lynyrd Skynyrd) wife but it was not confirmed. His post noted that he and many others had made pilgrimages for years to the site to pay their respects. "May the free bird fly on," read one message. He suffered a heart attack while on break from tour. I told him that it was the strongest thing I had seen a man do.. It was rumored that it was Ed Kings (original guitar player for Lynyrd Skynyrd) wife but it was not confirmed. Laying on the ground, still alive for only a moment, to slowly bleed to death. I dont know who you think we are but we were on a plane and the plane crashed out there on the other side of that cow pasture. Mote instantly connected the dots to the sound he heard earlier and the men that lay before him. No discernable landmarks remained, save the creek bed. It was Dr. Hank Lewis, a month shy of 78-years-old. They were directing him to the property next to his family's farm. Artimus Pyle, drummer for the band, stops for a quick picture while en route to the next show. The pilot and co-pilot also died; 20 others aboard lived. . Steve Gaines was killed instantly upon impact and his sister Cassie Gaines perished as well. You have permission to edit this article. 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. One band member, JoJo Billingsly, was not on the flight. As the small band of brothers grew, the conversation grew lively but stayed reverent. Collins and other band members were severely injured. But there wasn't any gas on the ground because they ran out of gas.". 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 knew I could take photographs if I could get there. We were all fans. As the three marched on, feet soaking wet from the water, all odds seemed stacked against the trio. And it left Teresa Gaines a widow. For another crash scene veteran, this was also his first return visit in 38 years. Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. "I was well prepared with advanced trauma life support training," he said, "and (I was) a flight surgeon in the military. 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. Rescuers look over the wreckage of the 1977 Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash. Cassie joined the team and became one of the three members of The Honkette's, a female gospel vocal trio of Lynyrd Skynyrd. Martin said she then, "called 911, or 0, or whatever we called back then.". We'd move one and there would be another one laying there." He could see the circling helicopter from his back yard. From left to right: Allen Collins, Ronnie Van Zant, And Gary Rossington. He had been impaled by a part of the fuselage and it pushed through his body and projected out of his back. 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. A medical examiner said on Sunday that Wilkeson suffered from chronic liver and lung disease, and most likely died of natural causes. Musician. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. The cockpit, tail, and wings completely ripped apart and the remaining cab lay desolate, in the shape of an L. The plane was simply not built well enough to even remotely handle the impact from the pine trees at roughly 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. Lynyrd Skynyrd was known for their hard-rocking style, driven by powerful guitars. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Aerosmiths management passed on the opportunity to call this plane their own. Allen Collins, another guitar player for the group, had cracked two vertebrae, and the cut to his right arm was so severe, that it almost required amputation. We had to cross a black water slew," he said. However, it is believed that the pilots were trying to transfer oil from one engine to another when they accidentally jettisoned the fuel instead. Artimus Pyle emerged with several broken ribs, and bleeding everywhere you could. The site is hard to access. Willing to lend a hand and stick by his bandmates, he was hard to beat when standing by your side. It felt like being hit with baseball bats in a steel garbage can with the lid on. I'm really not sure anymore," he said. Cassie Gaines mother was LaRue, while her father was Bud. Artimus Pyle was also notoriously outspoken against the plane and on several occasions would take buses to shows. Headline from a local newspaper reporting the crash. "I've been coming for years," he said, "and I've never met anyone who was here that night. 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. Cassie Gaines was born on January 9, 1948 and died on October 20, 1977. A Convair CV-240, similar to the one in the crash. ", "I expected to see all dead people looking at these woods. Allen Collins kept moving on, eventually getting together with Gary Rossington to form the Rossington Collins Band. 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. Ronnies mother Marion refused to make the flight, after seeing a horrific plane crash of her own that killed 9 people. Artimus Pyle, drummer for the band, stops for a quick picture while en route to the next show. Shining from what seemed to be a small house on a dairy farm. Band confidant, Gene Odum, is privately interviewed to share his story on what happened on this awful day in history. At the beginning of the flight, all was well, amid high tensions. Especially Artimus, who had three broken ribs and multiple large cuts. 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. As the three marched on, feet soaking wet from the water, all odds seemed stacked against the trio. TBS - Movies for Guys Who Like Movies Bumper - The Jerk - 1996, TBS - Dinner & A Movie - Urban Cowboy Promo - 1995, TBS - Movies for Guys Who Like Movies - Running Scared Promo - 1995. On hearing of the accident, Billingsley was so shaken that some of her hair fell out. He hopes to publish in time for the 40th anniversary of the crash. Shining from what seemed to be a small house on a dairy farm. A few minutes later I was talking my way past a Mississippi State trooper. It is a cautionary song about drug abuse that fans believed was aimed at one of the members. Born Steven Earl Gaines, the son of Cassie Hatfield and Earl Gaines. Governor said, "I'm bad about leaving an empty beer bottle and a full one for Ronnie and the boys" each year. 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. If a band couldn't play Skynyrd, they didn't get hired for the school dance. The Convair 240 itself had been inspected by members of Aerosmith's flight crew for possible use in the early summer of 1977, but was rejected because it was felt that neither the plane nor the crew were up to standards. "I knew she was gone. Both pilots were lost in the crash as well, however, a decent amount of fans seek the closure of their conviction of attempted manslaughter, even in death. Lewis was on emergency room call that night at McComb's Southwest Regional Medical Center. Collins recovered and began performing again, eventually forming the Allen Collins Band. Ronnie had died instantly upon impact, his head slamming into a tree. 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. Especially with the song That Smell. He was a walking treasure trove of names, facts and figures. I knew I had no business going, and my wife told me so. Before long, he noticed three men emerge from the dense woods along the pasture. 5 spot, it was the bands first No. The plane finally slammed into the earth, and Billy Powell recalls saying, We hit the trees at approximately 90 mph. 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. His first impression was, "What is a bunch of hippies doing on an airplane? While the site is duly remembered, it is on private property and is not open to the public. Lynyrd Skynyrd pose for a portrait circa 1976. According to an interview in the book Freebirds, Billingsley had dreamed of the plane crash and begged Allen Collins by telephone not to continue using the Convair. She began her career at a young age but has grown steadily over the years to become one of the best in Hollywood. It was Steve, and me, and Ronnie and I was in the middle of them. But sadly when he drank, which was quite often, his demeanor and character qualities changed drastically. But we were both enjoying it. Artimus Pyle once said they were flying in a plane that he believed belonged to the Clampett family (they were the family from the Beverly Hillbillies, a family notorious for using pieced together equipment.). Ronnie had died instantly upon impact, his head slamming into a tree. A Convair CV-240. Gene Odom, Lynyrd Skynyrds bodyguard, recalls: They took my watch, my wallet, my ring, and my money as I lay bleeding on the ground. In addition to his fractured ribcage, Artimus Pyle was treated for numerous abrasions and contusions. They were scheduled to perform at the Louisiana State University. The medical examiner reported that Wilkeson suffered from liver and lung disease at the time of his death. 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. Making the original release cover more valuable to collectors than the second cover released just a few weeks after the album hit the shelves. Suffocating the people on the bottom from the sheer weight. Johnny headed for the crash site to see if he could help. Everyone just stood there helpless. [2] 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. They all died but we didnt. He rushed to his truck and headed in. Although Steven Tyler and Joe Perry had insisted that they charter the plane, ultimately it was not signed to the band. 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. According to a Billboard report, he died of natural causes in his sleep. Home; Memorials; Cemeteries; Famous; Contribute; Register; Sign In; Register; Sign In; . Los Angeles, Billie Eilishs phone is now internet-free: Im like: Ew! Totaled, decimated, and left for dead. 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. 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. I used my camera in my work. Photo: thetv.info. Leslie Hawkins sustained a concussion, broke her neck in three places and had severe facial lacerations. For many years, a dozen red roses have been carefully placed around the base, much like the mysterious unfinished bottle of Martell cognac at the grave of Edgar Allen Poe in Baltimore. Photo: Pinterest. Photo: Pinterest. Everyone was afraid of riding on this plane. We had a friendly translator whose command of the English language was poor at best. The album had a very controversial cover when released. Tremendous physical pain overwhelmed the group as did mental exhaustion. We just had released an album that went gold almost overnight. I had a small studio, making a living mostly painting signs for local businesses. News had spread about the crash and before too long an estimated 3,000 people had swarmed to the crash site. There were 24 passengers and two crew members aboard the aircraft. The talented singer met her death at the young age of 29. I began the classic guitar lick. But not all had the intentions of lending a helping hand. When the news broke that it was Lynyrd Skynyrd's tour plane, Nancy and I stared at each other. The plane was produced from 1947-1954. One of them being completely decapitated. The pilots tried an emergency landing, but the plane crashed in the woods near Gillsburg in Mississippi. 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 The next morning I looked over them, made a few small prints and forgot about them. All of the seats were ripped from the frame of the plane, landing in the front section of the crash. It would be another hour before I heard the big news. Tangled by underbrush and the 20-foot creek, the rescue team had to act and think fast. 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. 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. A little after the two-hour mark, however, events started to unfold that would soon make history. Tuesday October 20, 2015 marked the 38th anniversary and drew several veterans from the night of the crash. 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.
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