Bianca is a force to be reckoned with in the American film industry. Marc Frank, a 24-year-old roadie traveling with the band, noticed what seemed to be fuel spewing from the right engine. The fuselage turned sideways, and everybody was hurled forward.. And it left Teresa Gaines a widow. It was rumored that it was Ed Kings (original guitar player for Lynyrd Skynyrd) wife but it was not confirmed. But I couldn't stand it any longer. A plane crash left lead singer Ronnie Van Zandt, lead guitarist Steve Gaines and backup singer Cassie Gaines dead. On the original pressing of the cover of Street Survivors was a photograph of the band engulfed in flames. It is possible that the damaged magneto fooled the pilots into creating an exceptionally rich fuel mixture, causing the Convair to run out of fuel. 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. I was just taken aback by it " but then his friend continued, "don't worry, Lynyrd made it out.". I used my camera in my work. All of the seats were ripped from the frame of the plane, landing in the front section of the crash. We always wondered why, you know. The surviving members would grapple with this throughout their days. One of them being completely decapitated. The plane killed three band members (Ronnie Van Zant, Cassie, Steve Gaines) and Dean Kilpatrick (assistant road manager), Walter McCreary (pilot), and William Gray (co-pilot). The band enjoyed national fame in the 1970s with such hits as Gimme Three Steps and Sweet Home Alabama.. 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. 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 official report of the crash read: "The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determines that the probable cause of this accident was fuel exhaustion and total loss of power from both engines due to crew inattention to the fuel supply. He needed to use their darkroom to get his photos out. Billy had taken too long on his intro to the song Free Bird and that didnt set well with Ronnie. 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 Then on the other side, it was Allen in the middle of Dean and Cassie. Collins and other band members were severely injured. Medical personnel arrived and began to ferry out the injured and the dead. Everyone was afraid of riding on this plane. A little after the two-hour mark, however, events started to unfold that would soon make history. Four of the passengers were killed including bandleader and lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, Cassie Gaines and assistant tour manager Dean Kilpatrick. Artimus has had many ups and downs since then, several incarcerations, and a huge falling out with Gary. A Convair CV-240, similar to the one in the crash. No discernable landmarks remained, save the creek bed. Everyone knows him as "Governor." Especially Artimus, who had three broken ribs and multiple large cuts. Suffocating the people on the bottom from the sheer weight. Rock Musician. He had known Easley Creek since his youth. Ronnie Van Zant and Steve Gaines, along with backup singer Cassie Gaines (Steve's older sister), assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, pilot Walter McCreary, and co-pilot William Gray died. "That solidified that idea. "I knew she was gone. But I loved the bonding. But sadly when he drank, which was quite often, his demeanor and character qualities changed drastically. The sky is the limit for the talented actress. Both Steve and Cassie Gaines were killed in the crash. Lewis was on emergency room call that night at McComb's Southwest Regional Medical Center. Street Survivors became the band's second platinum album, and was the #5 top selling album on the U.S. album chart. Powell's nose had been nearly ripped from his face after crashing head first through a table. 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 smiled broadly and said, "Turn it up! 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. As the bulletins continued, they became more descriptive: "Tractors were pulling ambulances across a creek" was one exaggerated quote I remember so well. 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. It is a cautionary song about drug abuse that fans believed was aimed at one of the members. I knew I had no business going, and my wife told me so. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. The plane was produced from 1947-1954. Collins, 37, suffered respiratory failure, said a Memorial Medical Center spokeswoman. On several occasions, the latter shined through. 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. 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. 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. he said, barely able to get his English to suit his thoughts. From the commercial hits of Free Bird and Simple Man to less mainstream songs like The Needle And The Spoon and T Is For Texas, Lynyrd Skynyrd and their driving southern sound quickly cut their way to the top of the charts and into the hearts of many across the states and around the world. Marc Frank was beaten terribly and was also covered in lacerations and blood. Cassie Gaines died on the 20 th of October, 1977 in a plane crash at Gillsburg, Mississippi when she was only 29 years old. Allen Collins kept moving on, eventually getting together with Gary Rossington to form the Rossington Collins Band. 2023 Getty Images. Both of which helped the album climb to the No. And the hardest-working rock 'n' roll band in America was about to run out of gas. In 1977, lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Stevie Gaines and Gaines' sister, Cassie Gaines, were killed in a plane crash. After I led him to the downtown McComb offices, I returned home, developed my film in a clumsy bathroom darkroom and went to sleep. The band got its name as a way of mocking Leonard Skinner, a gym coach at Robert E. Lee High School known for punishing his long-haired students specifically band co-founders Gary Rossington and Bob Burns. Photo: Pinterest. At the time of her death she survived by her large extended friends and family. Cassie Gaines was one of the band members who boarded the ill-fated flight. The pilots tried an emergency landing, but the plane crashed in the woods near Gillsburg in Mississippi. 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 couldn't stand it. Cause of death: Car accident. The site is hard to access. The plane had a thinner fuselage and smaller wingspan than any of its kind at the time. 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. Lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines and singer Cassie Gaines were all killed in the crash, and the . He could hear the people moaning, pleading for help. After a shorter-than-normal day of bow hunting, he received a phone call about a plane crash in the area. She was planning to join the tour in Little Rock on October 23, three days after the crash. Pilots Walter McCreary and William Gray were fully aware of a fuel shortage before the flight took off. 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. As the small band of brothers grew, the conversation grew lively but stayed reverent. Everyone on the flight, except for Ronnie Van Zant, was feeling uneasy and restless. It is reported that the pilots whose eyes were full of terror, told them to go back to their seats and prepare for impact. News had spread about the crash and before too long an estimated 3,000 people had swarmed to the crash site. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. 5 album. Gene Odom had been thrown from the plane and broke his neck, his skin badly burned and one eye blinded by phosphorus from a de-icing flare that had been aboard. It was known that the right engine's magneto a small power generator that provides spark and timing for the engine had been malfunctioning (Powell, among others, spoke of seeing flames shooting out of the right engine on a trip just prior to the accident), and that pilots McCreary and Gray had intended to repair the damaged part when the travelling party arrived in Baton Rouge. She was sick and would meet up with the band in Arkansas to continue the tour. "Yes, your right," I said, slightly amused. A costly mistake at 9,000ft or so. The plane had completely disintegrated. Van Zant, Steve and Cassie Gaines, Kilpatrick and the pilots were laid in a temporary morgue at a local high school gymnasium. Artimus Pyle emerged with several broken ribs, and bleeding everywhere you could. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined that the probable cause of this accident was fuel exhaustion and total loss of power from both engines due to crew inattention to the fuel supply. It would be another hour before I heard the big news. Don't look like they can afford a ticket. Collins began his rise to success as the lightning-fingered guitarist for the Jacksonville band formed in 1966 by a group of high school students. 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. . A Convair CV-240, similar to the one in the crash. Turns out that Cassie didn't want to board that particular flight and had blatantly refused to travel on that plane. How did Cassie Gaines get in Lynyrd Skynyrd? The only thing left was a trail of debris and people. Some were screaming and moaning for help, but they were all limp. Lynyrd Skynyrd is no doubt an American staple in music and southern rock culture. 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 my camera had stories to tell. For another crash scene veteran, this was also his first return visit in 38 years. 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. 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.". 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. Birthday: January 9, 1948. Here Are Our Sources: Remembering Lynyrd Skynyrds Deadly 1977 Plane Crash, Jordan Runtagh, The Rolling Stones, What Happened To The Surviving Members Of The Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash?, Micheal Cristopher, Ultimate Classic Rock.com, Falling Free Bird: The Truth About The Infamous Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash Is Stranger Than Fiction, Phil Gibbons, Ranker.com, The Joplin Globe Steve and Cassie Gaines to be inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame. Johnny Mote and his ragtag team were first on the crash site. Cassie Gaines Lynard Skynyrd plane crash was one of the band's most challenging moments. Cassie Gaines was born on January 9, 1948 and died on October 20, 1977. We'd move one and there would be another one laying there." Violent, wild, and belligerent, Ronnie was a force to be reckoned with. Band confidant, Gene Odum, is privately interviewed to share his story on what happened on this awful day in history. Steve Gaines was killed instantly upon impact and his sister Cassie Gaines perished as well. 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. It would take hours to remove the bodies of the dead and injured from the plane. Freebird, Lynyrd Skynyrd, 10/20/77 and a notebook-sized rebel flag are deeply etched into the old bark. Coincidence? When the group asked Ronnies father how he was, he simply replied Hes fine. The fuselage turned sideways, and everybody was hurled forward.. 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. If a band couldn't play Skynyrd, they didn't get hired for the school dance. The pilots would have to make an emergency landing. 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. Before long, he noticed three men emerge from the dense woods along the pasture. They all died but we didnt. He then assembled a convoy of trucks and four-wheelers to locate the crash site and rescue the survivors. With the tree tops approaching fast and just eight miles short of the air strip, the plane was headed for a Mississippi swamp and nothing could be done to save them now. 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. "Are you writing a book?" Pyle, Frank, and Peden were met with hostility when they finally came up to Mote. At the end of the day, Ronnie and the boys are gone and we lost a rock n roll angel on October 20, 1977. Dean Kilpatrick, the bands manager, lay dead and covered in blood. It would take hours to remove the bodies of the dead and injured from the plane. My college roommate was a young photojournalist. Cassie Gaines cause of death The talented singer met her death at the young age of 29. 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. Billy Powell, the bands keyboardist, received extensive facial lacerations and a broken right knee. "I had expertise on what to do and growing up in Amite County, Mississippi didn't hurt. I was not there to be a gawker or to get in the way. ", "I expected to see all dead people looking at these woods. Dean Kilpatrick, the bands manager, lay dead and covered in blood. He suffered a heart attack . 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. Leslie Hawkins sustained a concussion, broke her neck in three places and had severe facial lacerations. Ronnie had died instantly upon impact, his head slamming into a tree. The tail section broke off, the cockpit broke off and buckled underneath, then both wings broke off. A design that would most likely lead to the infamous crash. He lifted one after another and shuffled them to others outside. Before joining the music band, she was an original cast member of a school play under Hairspray. Here are 10 facts about Lynyrd Skynyrd and their fateful end. The band would be marked for strife as just before their inaugural tour, Allens wife would bleed to death due to a miscarriage. Laying on the ground, still alive for only a moment, to slowly bleed to death. Gary continues on the band with Ronnies brother, Johnny Van Zant, and guitarist Ricky Medlocke. Willing to lend a hand and stick by his bandmates, he was hard to beat when standing by your side. Another 20 were injured, which included keyboardist Billy Powell, guitarists Gary Rossington and Allen Collins, drummer Artimus Pyle and bassist Leon Wilkeson. Ronnies mother Marion refused to make the flight, after seeing a horrific plane crash of her own that killed 9 people. Ronnie Van Zant enjoying a stog before a show. You are already subscribed to our newsletter! Johnny headed for the crash site to see if he could help. 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. Lynyrd Skynyrd disbanded after the airplane tragedy. 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. Rudge chartered three planes for loved ones to identify the bodies. Leon Wilkeson, their bass player, had arguably the most harrowing recovery; as he faced many internal injuries, dislodged teeth, and a broken left arm and leg, and his heart stopped twice on the operating table while doctors frantically struggled to keep him alive. The album had deeper meaning than most. Posted and no trespassing signs are prominently displayed. to gather a few more. She was hesitant because she had seen a small fire in one of the engines the previous day. I dont like that, The Weeknd is getting mocked for his response to Rolling Stones The Idol expos, Daisy Jones & the Six review: Riley Keough fronts a rock soap opera, Aaron Carters mom posts awful photos from death scene, pushes for homicide inquiry, Wayne Shorter, influential jazz saxophonist and composer, dies at 89. "I saw the blond hair," he said. 5 spot, it was the bands first No. Headline from a local newspaper reporting the crash. With that cue, Governor took the honors and introduced everyone as Gabel's mouth gaped in disbelief. There have been several different theories as to the culprits of this . The tail section broke off, the cockpit broke off and buckled underneath, then both wings broke off. The singer was approached by artist JoJo Billingsley, sent by the band's head and lead vocalist, Ronnie Van Zant. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? "It was stuff I'd been trained to do," he said. Minutes later he was guiding an ambulance through an overgrown trail. Mote was putting out square bales of hay for the cattle when he heard what sounded "like a car crash on a gravel road." Her brother was Skynyrd guitarist Steve Gaines. 137.184.228.194 But there wasn't any gas on the ground because they ran out of gas.". 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. "They'd busted bales of hay in the bed to soften the ride," he said. Johnny Mote and his ragtag team were first on the crash site. As soon as it seemed that the worst of the flight was passing, the true nightmare was about to set in for Lynyrd Skynyrd and the crew aboard. I marked my calendar and made arrangements. Photo: Pinterest. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. That farm belonged to a young dairy farmer named Johnny Mote. Ronnie Van Zant was just more than the bands main songwriter, frontman, and singer. He could hear the people moaning, pleading for help. 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.". He obtained his first guitar at about age 14. On October 20, 1977, a Convair CV-240 carrying the band between shows from Greenville, South Carolina to Baton Rouge, Louisiana crashed outside of Gillsburg, Mississippi. Artimus Pyle and Gary Rossington are the only two members alive today from the crash. The whole scene tore him apart. Almost four decades later, I noticed a seemingly innocuous post on Facebook. It would also be the first album that guitarist Steve Gaines would be the sole guitar player on. Ronnie Van Zant was just more than the bands main songwriter, frontman, and singer. There is some speculation as to why the second engine had ultimately failed. Skip to main content. The album had a very controversial cover when released. Steven Earl Gaines (September 14, 1949 - October 20, 1977) was an American musician. Photo: Uncle Johns Bathroom Reader. She is famous for starring in Saved by the Bell: The New Class, Goode Behavior, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and The Secret Life of the American Teenager. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. The three injured men hiked some distance from the crash site, through swampy woods, and finally flagged down farmer Johnny Mote, who had come to investigate. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. But as my wife and I watched the news bulletins flash on TV, it was a big deal. Mote hopped into his pick-up to get back to his house, told his wife to get back in the house, then proceeded to grab his gun and stand guard. The guys hit the dirt and yelling out with what they had left Hey! "Folks were all mashed together. Billy Powell would be in the new starting line-up of Lynyrd Skynyrd until his death in 2009. Bianca is an American actress. Crying, praying, and counting the dead to see who they would never hug, play music with, and enjoy company with again. Both brother and sister were killed in the airplane crash that also took the life of Lynyrd Skynyrd vocalist Ronnie Van Zant. Lynyrd Skynyrd is a FANDOM Music Community. Where Did We Find This Stuff? A tragic scene no person would ever wish to see or soon forget. 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. I worked the scene for about 30 minutes before a veteran photographer approached me and asked if I knew where the local paper "The Enterprise Journal" was located. Gary Rossington, one of the bands guitar players, had suffered two broken arms, a broken leg, a punctured stomach and liver. We were shocked, as were most others hearing the news. A Convair CV-240. Sadly, the band would not make it to Baton Rouge and the plane had been pushed one flight too many. He was best known for being a Rock Singer. Gene Odom, Lynyrd Skynyrds bodyguard, recalls: They took my watch, my wallet, my ring, and my money as I lay bleeding on the ground.

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