36 Years Ago: Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Plane Crash

[Miles Archer]

36 Years Ago: Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Plane Crashes, Killing Three Band Members
by Sterling Whitaker October 20, 2013 5:45 AM



Lynyrd Skynyrd had established themselves as one of the most successful rock bands of the ’70s by the time they released ‘Street Survivors‘ in October of 1977. The group’s career would come to a tragic halt just three days later, on Oct. 20, 1977, when their twin engine plane went down in a swamp in Gillsburg, Miss., killing three of the band members, a tour manager and both pilots on impact.

The group had put together a string of iconic hits including ‘Free Bird,’ ‘Gimme Three Steps,’ ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ and ‘Gimme Back My Bullets’ prior to the release of ‘Street Survivors.’ Anticipation for the new album was so high that it went gold within days, and Lynyrd Skynyrd embarked on the most ambitious headlining tour of their career, traveling between concert dates in their own Convair CV-300. Rock legend has it that Aerosmith had looked into renting the same plane earlier in the year, but passed on it due to concerns over both the safety of the plane, and the readiness of its crew.

Lynyrd Skynyrd were traveling from Greenville, S.C. to Baton Rouge, La. when their plane apparently ran out of fuel toward the end of the flight. The pilots attempted to land on a small air strip, but the bottom of the plane clipped some trees, and the aircraft went down in a remote stand of forest. Skynyrd singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, vocalist Cassie Gaines, assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, pilot Walter McCreary and co-pilot William Gray were killed instantly, while the other band members and road crew suffered terrible injuries. Drummer Artimus Pyle and two crew members crawled from the wreckage and hiked through swampy woods until they finally flagged down a local farmer, who sent for help.

Following the crash and the press attention that came along with it, ‘Street Survivors’ became Lynyrd Skynyrd’s second platinum album. Out of respect for the band and their family members, MCA recalled the album’s original cover, which depicted the band members engulfed in flames. Devastated by the loss of their singer and the injuries sustained by the survivors, Lynyrd Skynyrd disbanded after the accident, leaving the survivors to try to make their own way with varying degrees of success and failure.

http://ultimateclassicrock.com/lynyrd-skynyrd-plane-crashes/

[bluesbassman]

1. Tragic story. They really were a great band.

Thanks for posting this AV.

[onehandle]

2. I heard an interview with one of the survivors on Sirius a couple of years ago.

He still sounded pretty spooked by the fact that Ronnie Van Zant was decapitated by a television that flew across the cabin. Van Zant did not listen to the pilots and did not keep his head down.

[RebelOne]

6. I am spooked also, because I did not know

that is how Ronnie Van Zant died. Very sad.

[Scairp]

3. A tragic day for music

Hard to believe it's been that many years.

[Arkansas Granny]

4. What a loss. I didn't realize it had been that long ago.

[Go Vols]

5. RIP Boys

[nomorenomore08]

7. R.I.P.

[ArnoldLayne]

8. I saw them on this tour in Wheeling WV on April 26, 1977. I can't remember exactly who opened for

them. I'm thinking either The Doobie Brother's or Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers. It's been so many years ago I forget. If someone remembers that last tour and who was the opening act I would appreciate it.

[Joe Shlabotnik]

9. .

[ArnoldLayne]

10. R.I.P.

[Blue_Tires]

11. an unnecessary tragedy...

[cemaphonic]

12. I really love this Drive-By Truckers tribute to Skynyrd:

"Life in the Factory" - Drive-By Truckers

(Actually, about half of the songs on their double-album "Southern Rock Opera" are about Skynyrd, including one about the crash itself.)