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. 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. Street Survivors became the band's second platinum album, and was the #5 top selling album on the U.S. album chart. Pyle did confirm (from Pyle's interview on the The Howard Stern Show on Sirius Satellite Radio, Feb. 12, 2007) that Van Zant's cause of death was trauma to the head caused by equipment, such as Betamax tapes and Trinitrons, flying forward in the plane's cabin. Martin said she then, "called 911, or 0, or whatever we called back then.". Gary Rossington broke both his arms and both his legs in the crash, and took many months to recuperate. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Shining from what seemed to be a small house on a dairy farm. The pilots would have to make an emergency landing. Cassie Gaines Lynard Skynyrd plane crash was one of the band's most challenging moments. 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. Both brother and sister were killed in the airplane crash that also took the life of Lynyrd Skynyrd vocalist Ronnie Van Zant. It was Dr. Hank Lewis, a month shy of 78-years-old. 10 Details About the Fatal Plane Crash that Was the Death of Lynyrd 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. The album had a very controversial cover when released. Aerosmiths management passed on the opportunity to call this plane their own. The pilot and co-pilot also died; 20 others aboard lived. Tremendous physical pain overwhelmed the group as did mental exhaustion. Photo credits Airplane-Pictures.net. "I've been coming for years," he said, "and I've never met anyone who was here that night. He needed to use their darkroom to get his photos out. He claims that Artimus Pyle, drummer for Lynyrd Skynyrd, survived scathe-less and crawled into the bushes watching Ronnie and the others die in this horrid fiery crash. Allen Collins kept moving on, eventually getting together with Gary Rossington to form the Rossington Collins Band. Band confidant, Gene Odum, is privately interviewed to share his story on what happened on this awful day in history. The plane finally slammed into the earth, and Billy Powell recalls saying, We hit the trees at approximately 90 mph. But not all had the intentions of lending a helping hand. And then we heard voices. The sky is the limit for the talented actress. Ronnie Van Zant enjoying a stog before a show. She was hesitant because she had seen a small fire in one of the engines the previous day. "That solidified that idea. Ronnie had died instantly upon impact, his head slamming into a tree. He was only 39, but was no rookie. 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. As they, too, were succumbing to the sub-par standards of the plane and crew. On 20th October 1977, the Lynyrd Skynyrd boarded a chartered Convair CV-240 to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, after their performance in Greenville, South Carolina. 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. ", "He came home covered in blood," said his wife, Lola. Ronnies mother Marion refused to make the flight, after seeing a horrific plane crash of her own that killed 9 people. Cassie Gaines Death: and Cause of Death. 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. Everyone was afraid of riding on this plane. Losing daylight, the pilots desperately looked for an open field or some kind of saving grace. Both Steve and Cassie Gaines were killed in the crash. It was rumored that it was Ed Kings (original guitar player for Lynyrd Skynyrd) wife but it was not confirmed. A costly mistake at 9,000ft or so. She was born on 9th January 1948 in Missouri, USA. Laying on the ground, still alive for only a moment, to slowly bleed to death. 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. In Genes interview, he mentions that he ran to the cock pit and to alert the pilots of the exploded engine and their response was Nothins wrong. It is reported that the pilots whose eyes were full of terror, told them to go back to their seats and prepare for impact. Sadly, it would end all to soon. 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. The Tragic Death Of Lynyrd Skynyrd's Ronnie Van Zant - Grunge.com The only thing left was a trail of debris and people. Remembering Lynyrd Skynyrd's Deadly 1977 Plane Crash "I had expertise on what to do and growing up in Amite County, Mississippi didn't hurt. The pilots would have to make an emergency landing. And it left Teresa Gaines a widow. Their lyrics were raw and fresh - honest and simple. For members Gary Rossington and Allen Collins, the weight of what happened seemed to push down on them the most. Billy Powell would be in the new starting line-up of Lynyrd Skynyrd until his death in 2009. Cassie Gaines - Bio, Personal Life, Family & Cause Of Death - CelebsAges David Bowie Reveals His Favorite Songwriters, Michael Jacksons Daughter Release New Song, Fans Wants To Cancel Roger Waters Concerts, Ozzy Osbourne Give Update On Possible Touring, Why Keith Richards Was Jealous Of The Beatles, Dave Grohl Reveals His Favorite Paul McCartney Track. The flight was going good so far and other than Ronnie getting severely intoxicated while on the flight, all seemed to be setting up to be another routine flight. Without wanting to cause alarm he thought to himself that maybe the pilots were trying to transfer fuel from one engine to another. 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 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. Gary continues on the band with Ronnies brother, Johnny Van Zant, and guitarist Ricky Medlocke. The plane finally slammed into the earth, and Billy Powell recalls saying, We hit the trees at approximately 90 mph. 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. Allen's wife would bleed to death due to a miscarriage. Artimus Pyle emerged with several broken ribs, and bleeding everywhere you could. As we walked, Easely pointed to a towering pine. The flight was going good so far and other than Ronnie getting severely intoxicated while on the flight, all seemed to be setting up to be another routine flight. Steven Earl Gaines (September 14, 1949 - October 20, 1977) was an American musician. Although Steven Tyler and Joe Perry had insisted that they charter the plane, ultimately it was not signed to the band. "Yes, your right," I said, slightly amused. Collect, curate and comment on your files. She was requested to join the band as a backing vocalist. Lynyrd Skynyd: The NTSB Report - Angelfire Where Did We Find This Stuff? Band members Artimus Pyle and Billy Powell entered the cockpit to get an idea of what was happening. Marc Frank recalled hearing both engines on the plane then within a matter of minutes, just air passing over the cabin. But I loved the bonding. 5 album. There is some speculation as to why the second engine had ultimately failed. 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. Headline from a local newspaper reporting the crash. Artimus Pyle and Gary Rossington are the only two members alive today from the crash. "It was a lot wetter that night. So we came out here and got busy. 2023 Getty Images. Dean Kilpatrick, the bands manager, lay dead and covered in blood. There were 26 people on that fateful flight. He had been hospitalized since September. Street Survivors was released just three days before the crash and would quickly become a hit. 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. Pyle maintains in the Howard Stern interview that the fuel gauge in the older model plane malfunctioned and the pilots had failed to manually check the tanks before taking off. Circa 1975, Singers Cassie Gaines , Leslie Hawkins and Jo Jo Billingsley of the American rock group, Lynyrd Skynyrd, 1970s. On hearing of the accident, Billingsley was so shaken that some of her hair fell out. One band member, JoJo Billingsly, was not on the flight. Since Cassie was not aware of the band's existence at that time, Jojo offered her a copy of Lynyrd Skynyrd's first two albums to make her acquainted with the band's work. In addition to his fractured ribcage, Artimus Pyle was treated for numerous abrasions and contusions. However, it is believed that the pilots were trying to transfer oil from one engine to another when they accidentally jettisoned the fuel instead. 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. 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. It is a cautionary song about drug abuse that fans believed was aimed at one of the members. Thats when most of the sober members of the band saw that the right propeller was no longer working. The location sounded familiar so he asked them to repeat.
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