Lynyrd Skynyrd Crash: Rock Tragedy in Mississippi

A chartered Convair CV-240 carrying Lynyrd Skynyrd ran out of fuel and plunged into a swamp in Gillsburg, Mississippi, on October 20, 1977, killing lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, backup singer Cassie Gaines, road manager Dean Kilpatrick, and both pilots. Twenty survivors, many critically injured, were pulled from the wreckage by local residents who heard the crash. Southern rock's most important band was destroyed at the height of its creative power. The band had been touring in support of Street Survivors, released just three days earlier and climbing the charts. The Convair, a twin-engine propeller plane built in 1948, had been leased after the band's regular aircraft developed maintenance problems. Band members had expressed concerns about the plane before boarding — drummer Artimus Pyle later said several members had "bad feelings" about the flight from Greenville, South Carolina, to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Both engines flamed out when the aircraft exhausted its fuel supply approximately five miles from a small airfield where the pilots attempted an emergency landing. The plane clipped trees and broke apart upon impact in a densely wooded swamp. Van Zant, age 29, was found still in his seat with fatal head injuries. Steve and Cassie Gaines were also killed on impact. Survivors, including guitarist Gary Rossington and other band members, suffered broken bones, severe burns, and internal injuries. Pyle, though badly hurt, crawled from the wreckage and walked to a nearby farmhouse to summon help. Lynyrd Skynyrd had defined Southern rock with "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Free Bird," the latter becoming one of the most iconic guitar anthems in rock history. Van Zant was developing into a songwriter of considerable depth — Street Survivors' "That Smell," about the dangers of excess, seemed almost prophetic in retrospect. The crash drew inevitable comparisons to the 1959 plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper. A reformed version of the band, featuring Van Zant's younger brother Johnny, began touring in 1987, but the original group's arc from Jacksonville bars to arena stages was cut short at its peak.