Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash

Convair CV-240 N55VM crash
A Convair CV-240 similar to the accident aircraft
Accident
DateOctober 20, 1977
18:52 (CST)[1]
SummaryFuel exhaustion
SiteHeavily wooded swamp, Amite County, Mississippi, United States,
five miles (8 km) northeast
of Gillsburg
31°04′19″N 90°35′57″W / 31.07194°N 90.59917°W / 31.07194; -90.59917[1]: 3 
Aircraft
Aircraft typeConvair CV-240[2]
OperatorL & J Company of
Addison, Texas
Call sign5 VICTOR MIKE
RegistrationN55VM
Flight originGreenville Downtown Airport, Greenville, South Carolina
StopoverMcComb-Pike County Airport, Pike County, Mississippi (emergency attempt)
DestinationBaton Rouge Metropolitan Airport, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Occupants26
Passengers24
Crew2
Fatalities6
Injuries20
Survivors20
Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash is located in the United States
crash site
crash site
Greenville
Greenville
Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge
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The flight departed Greenville, South Carolina for Baton Rouge, Louisiana, ultimately crashing near Gillsburg, Mississippi

On October 20, 1977, a Convair CV-240 passenger aircraft ran out of fuel and crashed in a wooded area near Gillsburg, Mississippi, United States. Chartered by the rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd from L & J Company of Addison, Texas, it was flying from Greenville, South Carolina, to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, crashing near its destination.[3][4]

Lynyrd Skynyrd lead vocalist and founding member Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist and vocalist Steve Gaines, backing vocalist Cassie Gaines (Steve's older sister), assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, Captain Walter McCreary, and First Officer William John Gray all died as a result of the crash, while twenty others survived.[5] The tragedy abruptly halted Lynyrd Skynyrd's career until Van Zant's brother Johnny reformed the band ten years later.

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference USNTSB3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference ASN was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Gwinn, John (October 22, 1977). "Why did plane run out of fuel?". Spartanburg Herald-Journal. (South Carolina). p. B1. Archived from the original on August 12, 2021. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  4. ^ "Rock band leader, five others killed in charter plane crash". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). UPI. October 21, 1977. p. 3A. Archived from the original on August 12, 2021. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  5. ^ "Airplane crash kills members of rock band". The Bulletin. (Bend, Oregon). Associated Press. October 21, 1977. p. 8. Archived from the original on August 12, 2021. Retrieved December 14, 2020.