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. 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. Steve Gaines was killed instantly upon impact and his sister Cassie Gaines perished as well. The crash killed Ronnie Van Zant, Steve and Cassie Gaines, assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, as well as pilot Walter McCreary and co-pilot William Gray. 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. Everyone on the flight, except for Ronnie Van Zant, was feeling uneasy and restless. We were shocked, as were most others hearing the news. The next morning I looked over them, made a few small prints and forgot about them. The guys hit the dirt and yelling out with what they had left Hey! I knew I could take photographs if I could get there. Rossington recalls saying It was always weird for Allen and me because we were up front in the plane. She was planning to join the tour in Little Rock on October 23, three days after the crash. She began her career at a young age but has grown steadily over the years to become one of the best in Hollywood. Ronnie Van Zant enjoying a stog before a show. Other band members were injured, some very seriously. "He didn't want to talk about it for years.". These things don't happen here. Governor said, "I'm bad about leaving an empty beer bottle and a full one for Ronnie and the boys" each year. She was sick and would meet up with the band in Arkansas to continue the tour. ", "He came home covered in blood," said his wife, Lola. Rudge chartered three planes for loved ones to identify the bodies. The location sounded familiar so he asked them to repeat. She was sick and would meet up with the band in Arkansas to continue the tour. Photo: Pinterest. 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." 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. Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. He knew those woods well. Shining from what seemed to be a small house on a dairy farm. Gene Odom, Lynyrd Skynyrds bodyguard, recalls: They took my watch, my wallet, my ring, and my money as I lay bleeding on the ground. 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. As a member of the Civil Air Patrol on that fateful night, he heard the report of a plane crash over the citizens band radio. Cassie Gaines Wikipedia; Sponsored Links. Assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, the pilot, and co-pilot Walter McCreary and William Gray also died. He, like me, was 21-years-old at the time. I used my camera in my work. The whole scene tore him apart. 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. There is some speculation as to why the second engine had ultimately failed. I've not looked at them since. Marc Frank was beaten terribly and was also covered in lacerations and blood. Both of which helped the album climb to the No. Obviously it is hard to dictate the correct story when various opinions and recollections are thrown out, however, it seems to us as though the pilots were aware of the faulty issues of the plane, did not check to make sure that the plane had enough gas, and did not seem to make an attempt to alert the passengers of their timely death. But as my wife and I watched the news bulletins flash on TV, it was a big deal. He suffered a heart attack while on break from tour. But a message on the group's official Web site said the summer tour will resume on Aug. 7, in Spokane, Wash. Don't look like they can afford a ticket. He suffered a heart attack . The two men, for a while, were the only able-bodied persons present to help pull people from the wreckage. 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. Cassie Gaines Death: and Cause of Death. There were 26 people on that fateful flight. Some were screaming and moaning for help, but they were all limp. Things were going so well. Marc Frank, a 24-year-old roadie traveling with the band, noticed what seemed to be fuel spewing from the right engine. The pilots were still in their seats, but were laying upside down in nearby trees. Artimus Pyle was also notoriously outspoken against the plane and on several occasions would take buses to shows. Photo: thetv.info. A Convair CV-240, similar to the one in the crash. Crying, praying, and counting the dead to see who they would never hug, play music with, and enjoy company with again. All reality had been broken and none of the surviving members would ever be the same or view life the same again. Band members Artimus Pyle and Billy Powell entered the cockpit to get an idea of what was happening. ", Other questions:subscriberservices@theadvocate.com. It was rumored that it was Ed Kings (original guitar player for Lynyrd Skynyrd) wife but it was not confirmed. Among them were Lacy Van Zant, Ronnies Father, and .38 Specials Guitarist Dan Barnes. But one thing I'm proud of. Here are 10 facts about Lynyrd Skynyrd and their fateful end. Their lyrics were raw and fresh - honest and simple. Video of a barechested Pyle at the 1979 Volunteer Jam does not show evidence of a gunshot wound. Ronnie had died instantly upon impact, his head slamming into a tree. The album had deeper meaning than most. Wilkeson would eventually be found dead in a hotel room in 2001 at age 49. Steve Gaines was killed instantly upon impact and his sister Cassie Gaines perished as well. One such silent witness has found a way to talk. He could hear the people moaning, pleading for help. I was just taken aback by it " but then his friend continued, "don't worry, Lynyrd made it out.". to gather a few more. Drummer Artimus Pyle crawled out of the plane wreckage with several broken ribs, but was ambulatory, as were road crew members Kenneth Peden Jr. and Mark Frank. But sadly when he drank, which was quite often, his demeanor and character qualities changed drastically. From left to right: Allen Collins, Ronnie Van Zant, And Gary Rossington. The original cover was restored after the 30th anniversary of the album. Updated cover after plane crash, 1977The official NTSB accident report reads, "The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the probable cause of this accident was fuel exhaustion and total loss of power from both engines due to crew inattention to fuel supply. Unfortunately, their plane ran short of fuel. The whole scene tore him apart. News had spread about the crash and before too long an estimated 3,000 people had swarmed to the crash site. With that cue, Governor took the honors and introduced everyone as Gabel's mouth gaped in disbelief. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. According to a Billboard report, he died of natural causes in his sleep. Street Survivors became the band's second platinum album, and was the #5 top selling album on the U.S. album chart. Marc Frank recalled hearing both engines on the plane then within a matter of minutes, just air passing over the cabin. ", "There were plenty of old boys standing around here. He rushed to his truck and headed in. 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. 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.). Collins entered the hospital with pneumonia symptoms and was in a coma the last few days, said longtime friend Ann Thompson. Pyle used the couple's phone to call his wife. Van Zant, Steve and Cassie Gaines, Kilpatrick and the pilots were laid in a temporary morgue at a local high school gymnasium. 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. Another 20 were injured, which included keyboardist Billy Powell, guitarists Gary Rossington and Allen Collins, drummer Artimus Pyle and bassist Leon Wilkeson. A little after the two-hour mark, however, events started to unfold that would soon make history. It was Steve, and me, and Ronnie and I was in the middle of them. This year there were no red roses, but a freshly carved "R.J." stood out with red paint enhancement. 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. Wilkeson would play in both Rossington Collins Band and the Allen Collins band. The cover would quickly be changed to a more bland blacked-out background with the band in the same pose after the accident. "It was stuff I'd been trained to do," he said. 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. Ronnies mother Marion refused to make the flight, after seeing a horrific plane crash of her own that killed 9 people. Everyone just stood there helpless. At least one member, background singer Cassie Gaines, had refused to board the flight, but was convinced against her better judgment. Gary continues on the band with Ronnies brother, Johnny Van Zant, and guitarist Ricky Medlocke. 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. Almost as mysteriously, the full bottle is never seen again. "That solidified that idea. He could see the circling helicopter from his back yard. 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. The album would go through several cover changes and would mark a new era for the guys. Billy Powell, the bands keyboardist, received extensive facial lacerations and a broken right knee. As the Houston Press reports, the crash took Van Zant's life, as well as the lives of band member Steve Gaines and his sister, backup singer Cassie; and Dean Kilpatrick, the assistant road manager. On another occasion, while reportedly on a drunken rage, he even slashed the hands of Gary Rossington, his best friend and guitarist, with a broken beer bottle. No discernable landmarks remained, save the creek bed. 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. Everyone was afraid of riding on this plane. For another crash scene veteran, this was also his first return visit in 38 years. He hopes to publish in time for the 40th anniversary of the crash. They were directing him to the property next to his family's farm. So we came out here and got busy. These combinations of poorly built aircraft and less than acceptable crew quickly led to the dismissal of the band leasing out their services. We had a friendly translator whose command of the English language was poor at best. Gary continues on the band with Ronnies brother, Johnny Van Zant, and guitarist Ricky Medlocke. I photographed their wedding. Wilkeson would play in both Rossington Collins Band and the Allen Collins band. In a separate interview, revealing the story of sound man Paul Welch who suffered traumatic injuries in this crash and was sent into a coma, shares that the plane that was utilized during this trip was already catching fire around the engine area and Lynyrd Skynyrd had requested to cease using it. Wilkeson would eventually be found dead in a hotel room in 2001 at age 49. Security manager Gene Odom was seriously burned on his arm and face and lost the sight in one eye as a result of an emergency flare on board the plane that was activated during the crash. The album had a very controversial cover when released. Several members of the band died in a plane crash that occurred on October 20, 1977, three days after the release of Street Survivors. Ben Gabel, of Denham Springs, is a former surveyor, and navigated to the scene from the official NTSB report, which includes the latitude and longitude. It was rumored that it was Ed Kings (original guitar player for Lynyrd Skynyrd) wife but it was not confirmed. Victims were taken to the hospital in McComb, Mississippi by ambulances and other vehicles. A Convair CV-240, similar to the one in the crash. As the bulletins continued, they became more descriptive: "Tractors were pulling ambulances across a creek" was one exaggerated quote I remember so well. 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.