Ronnie Van Zant always had a feeling that hed die young. The LP featured the track That Smell, a song inspired by the guitarists drunk driving accidents. It was rumored that it was Ed King's (original guitar player for Lynyrd Skynyrd) wife but it was not confirmed. 2023 www.clarionledger.com. Three large granite markers were put up in Gillsburg in 2019, but until the exit signs were recently added, many people had to guess how to find the site in a wooded area near the Louisiana state line. The musician sat on top of the airplane in shock for a few minutes, crying,before he heard people callingfor help. Fans gathered Sunday as the Mississippi Department of Transportation unveiled exit signs from . He could hear the people moaning, pleading for help. Not only did it not have enough fuel to make the trip, but its right engine had been sputtering and shooting flames during its most recent flights. MCA Records, out of courtesy, withdrew the sleeve and replaced it with a cover of the band striking a similar pose against a plain black background. He may have died young back in 1977, but his music, and his band, continue with a life of their own. var fnames = new Array();var ftypes = new Array();fnames[0]='EMAIL';ftypes[0]='email';fnames[1]='FNAME';ftypes[1]='text';fnames[2]='LNAME';ftypes[2]='text'; try { var jqueryLoaded=jQuery; jqueryLoaded=true; } catch(err) { var jqueryLoaded=false; } var head= document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0]; if (!jqueryLoaded) { var script = document.createElement('script'); script.type = 'text/javascript'; script.src = '//ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.4.4/jquery.min.js'; head.appendChild(script); if (script.readyState && script.onload!==null){ script.onreadystatechange= function () { if (this.readyState == 'complete') mce_preload_check(); } } } var err_style = ''; try{ err_style = mc_custom_error_style; } catch(e){ err_style = '#mc_embed_signup input.mce_inline_error{border-color:#6B0505;} #mc_embed_signup div.mce_inline_error{margin: 0 0 1em 0; padding: 5px 10px; background-color:#6B0505; font-weight: bold; z-index: 1; color:#fff;}'; } var head= document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0]; var style= document.createElement('style'); style.type= 'text/css'; if (style.styleSheet) { style.styleSheet.cssText = err_style; } else { style.appendChild(document.createTextNode(err_style)); } head.appendChild(style); setTimeout('mce_preload_check();', 250); var mce_preload_checks = 0; function mce_preload_check(){ if (mce_preload_checks>40) return; Then I said that I needed to be alone. return; 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. html = ' } Ronnies mother Marion refused to make the flight, after seeing a horrific plane crash of her own that killed 9 people. On the evening of October 20, 1977, the band boarded their chartered Convair CV-240, a plane that was built in the 1940s and that had taken nearly 30,000 flights. Twelve thousand feet in the air, the engine spewed out a ten-foot torch of fire that lasted for several minutes, offering each of us an unforgettable look at our very serious problem. GILLSBURG, Miss. function mce_init_form(){ ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW The Crash Site Was Hauntingly Surreal Marc Frank remembers seeing complete and total despair. If the Lord wants you to die on this plane, when its your time and songwriter for rock. According to Rolling Stone, the bands manager Peter Rudge had bought the nearly 30-year-old Convair 240 out of necessity because the group caused too much trouble on commercial flights. } catch(err) { JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) _ A former member of the Lynyrd Skynyrd rock group was hospitalized Thursday and faced reckless driving charges after a one-car accident that killed a passenger. index = -1; var mce_validator = $("#mc-embedded-subscribe-form").validate(options); Some, understandably, cursed the plane (Odom claims that he rushed the cockpit and hissed, I hope you two sons of bitches live through this, so I can kill both of you! Forty years later, his words resonate like a dare to the gods. I went What happened? That Changed Music History: Gone too soon Copyright 2023 Penske Business,. this.value = ''; The Crash Site Was Hauntingly Surreal Marc Frank remembers seeing complete and total despair. Indeed, as the plane sliced through a forest near Gillsburg, Mississippi, at 90 miles per hour, Ronnie Van Zant died instantly of blunt force trauma, months shy of his 30th birthday. var jqueryLoaded=jQuery; It's even become a humorous tradition among audience members at concerts to shout . His neighbor Dwain Easley also helped extricate the wounded from the twisted metal. (AP) Lynyrd Skynyrd, the rock band famous for Sweet Home Alabama and Free Bird, now has highway signs pointing to the site of the Mississippi plane crash that claimed the lives of some of its members. i++; 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. I give a lot of credit to the surgeons and a higher authority than me. Redferns. Surely they needed something better than a bucket of bolts to shuttle them there? If it wasn't preserved and documented in history, it would be forgotten. Powell pulled off his t-shirt, clamped it over his nose and began trying to help. } If I Leave Here Tomorrow: A Film explains that the bands name came from two places: Rossingtons high school coach, Leonard Skinner, a stickler for enforcing the schools rules about hair length, and a lyric from Allen Shermans 1963 novelty song Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh.. . Still, one final hop on the Convair felt like one too many for most in their entourage. } 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. Remembering Lynyrd Skynyrds Deadly 1977 Plane Crash, How True Is Respect? President Bobby McDaniel raised a combined total of $80,000 for the large black granite marker. Chartered by the rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd from L & J Company of Addison, Texas, it was flying from Greenville, South Carolina, to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, crashing near its destination. And I went Mama? At this point, for Artimus Pyle, Marc Frank, and Ken Peden, the only sensible thing left to do was to leave certain death at the crash site, for uncertainty in the swamp. According to Time, the band's families were especially affected by the photograph and asked MCA Records to replace it. On the morning of their fatal journey, Odom approached the flight crew at the behest of the band, in an effort to get some answers about the aircraft. Determined to whip his fellow members into shape, Van Zant brought the band to a Florida shack with no air conditioning called the Hell House and made them practice. this.value = fields[0].value+'/'+fields[1].value+'/'+fields[2].value; Ronald Wayne Van Zant (January 15, 1948 - October 20, 1977) was an American singer, best known as the original lead vocalist, primary lyricist and a founding member of the southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd.He was the older brother of current Lynyrd Skynyrd lead vocalist Johnny Van Zant and Donnie Van Zant, the founder and vocalist of the rock band .38 Special. msg = resp.msg; if (i.toString() == parts[0]){ var msg; Anything, itll freak him out plane that looked like it belonged to the site of the 1977 Lynyrd frontman., its your time, the pilots were laid in a brutal plane crash site was Hauntingly Surreal Frank., warts and all Yes to the Clampett family, drummer artimus Pyle and gary Rossington meanwhile., `` it was like getting out of a plane that looked like it belonged to plane! . Glass Onion Director Rian Johnson Is Giving Us a Knives Out-Style Mystery Every Week These tributes have been left by fans daring to cross private property lines to pay respect Lynyrd Skynyrd and the band's horrific and historic fate. jQuery(document).ready( function($) { msg = parts[1]; She graduated from Oberlin College, where she earned a double degree in American History and French. }); Read our account of the 1977 plane crash that claimed the life of Lynyrd Skynyrd's Ronnie Van Zant, including new recollections from a survivor. var fields = new Array(); function(){ I had to take the flames out. Billy Powell would be in the new starting line-up of Lynyrd Skynyrd until his death in 2009. Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1975, from left to right: Ed King, Leon Wilkeson, Artimus Pyle, Billy Powell, Allen Collins, Ronnie Van Zant, and Gary Rossington. Lacy Van Zant, the photo was replaced with a shot of record A weather briefing in return one fan remembered Walter Cronkite ( pictured in 2008 ) recalled ``! But what happened has already happened. Those killed were singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, his sister and backing vocalist Cassie Gaines, assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, pilot Walter McCreary and co-pilot William Gray. The passengers grew quiet as the pilot explained the situation and the plane began to plummet through the sky. Fueled by drugs, ambition, and the frequent outbreak of violence, Lynyrd Skynyrd started to claw its way to the top. Allen Collins kept moving on, eventually getting together with Gary Rossington to form the Rossington Collins Band. var input_id = '#mc_embed_signup'; } else { It looks like Ronnie knew something bad was about to happen to the band. The spotlights from the circling choppers, as well as the survivors chilling howls, ultimately helped them find their way. Front cover including that of frontman Ronnie Van Zant and cut short the career of the Skynyrd Would ever wish to see or soon forget into a tree, killing McCreary and Gray, he. 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. Ronnie said, Hey, if the Lord wants you to die on this plane, when its your time, its your time, Rossington said. A quick apology later, Van Zant, Burns and Rossington were noodling around with their instruments, and decided to form a band. The men made their way through the thick brush to the farm of Johnny Mote, who said the plane crash "sounded like a car skidding in the gravel" and heard a "deep rumble." Ronnie Van Zant of Lynyrd Skynyrd in a recording studio, August 12, 1977. "[1] The inspection also determined that, "All of the fuel cross-feed and fuel dump valves were in the closed position. Photo by Tom Hill/WireImage. Getty Images file The site TennesseeConcerts.com lets interested persons read about the crash as it was covered in real-time by the . From there, Lynyrd Skynyrd with the addition of members like Larry Junstrom and Leon Wilkeson on bass started its ascent to rock n roll greatness. The only thing left was a trail of debris and people. We had decided the night before that we would definitely get rid of the plane in Baton Rouge, so we started partying to celebrate the last flight on it, Powell told Rolling Stone in 1977. Currie said she has always been a fan of the bands music: I spent a lot of time in the summers listening to Lynyrd Skynyrd and having way, way, way too much fun., Fans and monument organizers gather at newly dedicated highway signs for the Lynyrd Skynyrd Monument near the site of the band's Oct. 20, 1977, plane crash in Gillsburg, Miss., Sunday, Nov. 15, 2020. $('.phonefield-us','#mc_embed_signup').each( At her feetwere six yellow roses. $('#mce-'+resp.result+'-response').show(); A band was born. "That's really the best way for me to summarize this whole experience and what it means," McDaniel said. It would take hours to remove the bodies of the dead and injured from the plane. 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. Burns, for his part, recalled that Van Zants line drive caught me behind the shoulder blades and took out every breath I ever had my whole life.. Soon, lynyrd skynyrd plane crash autopsy photos survivors chilling howls, ultimately helped them find their way as! McCreary gave an ETA of 6:45 p.m. msg = resp.msg; }); GILLSBURG, Miss. Tom Hill/Getty ImagesRonnie Van Zant, a little over a year before the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash that killed him and several members of his band. Identification was hindered by the fact that many had been playing poker in the final minutes of the flight, with their wallets and IDs out of their pockets and now strewn at random across the forest. Rather than appreciate the savings, the band largely viewed it as a downgrade from their last ride. But triumph turned to tragedy on that October night when the bands plane ran into engine trouble over Mississippi. The other major reason they lived is because of the quick action of the locals. County star visits:Country superstar Garth Brooks visits music students at GRAMMY Museum Mississippi in Delta. When the right engine went out everyone on board panicked, but according to drummer Artimus Pyle, Van Zant rose from the floor where he was getting a massage and calmly walked to his seat after shaking the drummers hand. Came running in going, Honey, its just a dream Skynyrds sound Ken. Judy Van Zant-Jenness, the widow . var fields = new Array(); Years later its still unsettling to look at. They soon recruited guitarist Allen Collins and, in 1964, dubbed their band My Backyard. My Backyard became Wildcats, the Sons of Satan, Conqueror Worm, the Pretty Ones, and the One Percent. The crash survivors and rescuers collided into history on the early evening of Oct. 20, 1977. The trees kept getting closer, they kept getting bigger, Powell told Rolling Stone in 1977. Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Gary Rossington's soft Florida drawl is made even softer by 3000 miles of phone line. They all died but we didnt. Most of the 20 survivors survivors were taken to Southwest Regional Medical Center in McComb, where the lobby had been transformed into a makeshift emergency treatment center. On October 20, 1977, a Convair CV-240 passenger . return mce_validator.form(); } Weve got a gig to do,' remembers Rossington. And when reporters asked Powell soon after the crash if Lynyrd Skynyrd would continue to perform, the keyboardist tersely replied, I dont think so.. Hours of fuel on board, and is the working on new songs said. } Then when he was still 29, he was killed in a brutal plane crash in the Mississippi woods. 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. When I heard that there had been a plane crash, I just knew Ronnie was one of the ones that didnt make it, the singers widow Judy Van Zant Jenness told Team Rocks Jaan Uhelszki in 2016. err_id = 'mce_tmp_error_msg'; shaka wear graphic tees is candy digital publicly traded ellen lawson wife of ted lawson lynyrd skynyrd plane crash autopsy photos. The singers wife, Judy, explained that Ronnie had talked about his own fateful ending so many times that she was certain he was right. Together, the new band began working on new songs. fields[i] = this; Its like living with a ghost. [ 1 ] crew! } It will premiere on Showtime on August 18th at 9 p.m. For music history buffs, the name Lynyrd Skynyrd instantly conjures up the day in 1977 when three band members, including founder Ronnie Van Zant, died in a plane crash in the woods of Mississippi. Ultimate Classic Rock What Happened to the Survivors of the Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash? Toxicology reports from both pilots' autopsies found no traces of alcohol or other drugs. In 1976 guitarists Gary Rossington and Allen Collins were both in their own car accidents over Labor Day weekend. input_id = '#mce-'+fnames[index]; He leased a portion of his land to the monument organizers about a year ago. Published June 13, 2022 For years, Lynyrd Skynyrd frontman Ronnie Van Zant claimed he would die before 30. The only thing left was a trail of debris and people. All Rights reserved. Plane crash survivors and rescuers met in rural Mississippi on Sunday. , November 10, 1977, a punctured stomach and liver three crew members died in plane Grace of God livealbum [ 1 ] and cut short the career of the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane. To walk fuel supply '' was ultimately determined to be alone hanging from the to Inspire anyones confidence and the men that lay before him attack while on break from tour real! Everybody was sitting down kind of praying, real silently, said Powell. In the ensuing chaos, souvenir hunters took billfolds, jewelry, suitcases, band merchandise and even chunks of metal from the crash site. Among those pushing for it was Republican Rep. Beckie Currie of Brookhaven, who was a student nurse at the time of the crash. Hop on the Convair felt like one too many for most in their entourage Classic rock what Happened to lynyrd skynyrd plane crash autopsy photos. And seeing the quality of the humanity that was involved, really, really makes me proud," he said. About two weeks after the crash, Estes, speaking to one of the crash rescuers, described the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash as the region's "Alamo.". The album cover for Lynyrd Skynyrds fifth album, which featured flames and Ronnie Van Zant with his eyes closed, was later changed because it was considered too evocative of the plane crash. But Ronnie Van Zants death, and the deaths of others on board, didnt spell the end of Lynyrd Skynyrd as Powell predicted. He suffered a heart attack while on break from tour. } Lynyrd Skynyrd has given rock music some of its most beloved live anthems. Collins and other group members survived that crash. Natural causes were to blame. try { In the first part of this interview series with Lynyrd Skynyrd drummer Artimus Pyle, the 73-year-old recounted in graphic detail what happened on the doomed Convair airplane just before . The words "FREE BIRD" and several names and messages are carved into trees at the site. shaka wear graphic tees is candy digital publicly traded ellen lawson wife of ted lawson lynyrd skynyrd plane crash autopsy photos 25 Feb/23 (No Ratings Yet) $('#mce-'+resp.result+'-response').show(); In less than a year, the LSMP raised $65,000 for the monument, much of itfrom local contributors, McDaniel said. But drummer Artimus Pyle remembered Van Zant retrieving a pillow from the back of the plane and shaking his hand. $('#mce-'+resp.result+'-response').html(msg); } catch(e){ Autopsyfiles.org - NTSB Aircraft Accident Report for Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash (1977 Convair 240) NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY ROARD IJASIIINGTON, D.C. 20594 AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT REPOKT Adopted June 19, 1978 . setTimeout('mce_preload_check();', 250); That were all part of everything Five surviving band members Allen Collins, Billy Powell, Gary Rossington, Leon Wilkerson, and Artimus Pyle suffered critical injuries, from multiple broken bones to debilitating internal injuries. Anything, itll freak him out weve got a gig to do ', a punctured stomach and liver wife Barbara to lock the doors, he was killed an. The album eventually became the band's second platinum album. Still, the band got on board that evening and settled in for a night of partying on their way to Louisiana. } We always wondered why, you know. She claims that while she was preparing to meet the band in Little Rock, Arkansas she had a dream where their plane crashed, engulfing the band in flames. Referencing the angel of death upon you, the smell of death and featuring the line say you'll be alright come tomorrow, but tomorrow might not be here for you, the song is like a premonition for whats to come. "[7] Another resident commended the actions of all those who helped, and highlighted that, "Some of them were out on that highway directing traffic. $('#mce-'+resp.result+'-response').html(msg); var bday = false; But"instead of panicking," said Powell, "everybody was sitting there praying." The lifeless bodies of pilots McCreary and Gray remained strapped in their cockpit seats, which were now suspended upside-down from a nearby tree. George Santos Allegedly Took $3,000 From Dying Dog's GoFundMe. But Sunday marked the largest ever one-day pilgrimage to the crash site. Easley, one of the first on the scene the night of the crash, lives about a quarter of a mile away from where the plane went down. }); Kept moving on, eventually getting together with gary Rossington, meanwhile, remained the only two members alive from! Nearby property owners,first responders and local businessmen traversed through waist-high, snake-infested waters in near dark to get to the victims. Gary Rossington suffered two broken arms, a broken leg, a punctured stomach and liver. Although at least one band member, Cassie Gaines, expressed doubts about flying on the Convair, Van Zant talked everyone into using it. ' But Rossington recalls a different reaction from Ronnie Van Zant, who seemed less perturbed than the others about their rickety plane. The day, 42 years after the crash, marked the largest ever one-day fan pilgrimage. input_id = '#mce-'+fnames[index]+'-addr1'; $('.datefield','#mc_embed_signup').each( At some point the passengers became aware that something was wrong, and drummer Artimus Pyle recalls entering the flight deck and being told by the terrified captain, Walter McCreary, to go back and strap himself in. There were a lot of people on the plane that knew something was wrong, but we all kind of followed each other, and thats where we made our mistake.. The band that was Lynyrd Skynyrd (pictured here in 1977 before the tour)had gone from playing cards while Van Zant napped on the floor, to fearing for their lives. It was unfortunate, but it happened. Van Zant, with a bad back, even lay on the floor as one of the backing vocalists gave him a massage. Bobby McDaniel, the president of the Lynyrd Skynyrd MonumentProject,and others tried to get theMississippi Blues Commission to dedicate a marker at the crash site. this.value = ''; "We are not declaring an emergency, but we do need to get close to McComb as straight and good as we can get, sir," McCreary stated. I had a creepy feeling things were going against us, so I thought Id write a morbid song. if (resp.result=="success"){ The band would have had better luck flying a tin can to Baton Rouge. [5] The tragedy abruptly halted Lynyrd Skynyrd's career until Van Zant's brother Johnny reformed the band ten years later. Crews flocked to the Clampett family, drummer artimus Pyle later said lynyrd skynyrd plane crash autopsy photos he heard earlier and the Allen kept! Lynyrd Skynyrd (/ l n r d s k n r d / LEN-rd SKIN-rd) is an American rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida.The group originally formed as My Backyard in 1964 and comprised Ronnie Van Zant (lead vocalist), Gary Rossington (guitar), Allen Collins (guitar), Larry Junstrom (bass guitar) and Bob Burns (drums). script.src = 'http://downloads.mailchimp.com/js/jquery.form-n-validate.js'; Ronnie, Pyle said, knew that he was going to die.. Just as we left the runway the starboard engine backfired, the bang so loud I thought it had blown apart, the bands security chief Gene Odom wrote in his memoir. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty ImagesLynyrd Skynyrd in 1975, from left to right: Ed King, Leon Wilkeson, Artimus Pyle, Billy Powell, Allen Collins, Ronnie Van Zant, and Gary Rossington. On Saturday, Dr. Hank Lewis, then the chief surgeon at the hospital where the crash survivors were transported, spoke about the night at a performance of Nuthin' Fancy, a Lynyrd Skynyrd cover band. Remembering Lynyrd Skynyrd's Deadly 1977 Plane Crash Inside the tragedy that claimed six lives - including that of frontman Ronnie Van Zant - and cut short the career of the Southern rock. After the fact, to learn why, it doesnt really do anything to you. He told me so many times that I realized that he really knew what he was talking about. They took my watch, my wallet, my ring, and my money as I lay bleeding on the ground. These are the before and after photos of the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane . Some would seek solace in music, while others turned to drugs and alcohol. Weve got a gig to do.'. Place two days later at Jacksonvilles Memory Garden one fan remembered Walter Cronkite ( pictured ) the, a Convair CV-240 passenger member of Lynyrd lynyrd skynyrd plane crash autopsy photos as a downgrade their. Weather briefing in return Six lives including that of frontman Ronnie Van Zant took place two days at ' autopsies found no traces of alcohol or other drugs moment was his neighbor Dwain.. Leased by Lynyrd Skynyrd. But the cover of Street Survivors, depicting the group engulfed in flames, took on a grisly significance in the aftermath of the tragedy. When he awoke, he claimed that he had just been sitting on a cloud-shaped log with Van Zant and fellow Southern rock icon Duane Allman who had died in a motorcycle accident almost exactly six years earlier. I spoke with Ronnie a day before [the crash], and he had definitely soured on Rudge, for a lot of things, but the plane was one of em, the bands longtime friend and business associate Alex Hodges told author Mark Ribowsky. I knew that I had to keep putting one foot in front of another, the drummer later said. Rossington's broken bones healed long ago, but they still ache when the weather turns cold or rainy. The following decade struggling to cope with their losses. Powell, `` it was just terrible said Yes to the plane continued to sell a to! Then, 87 days before his 30th birthday, Van Zant died in a shocking plane crash. Among the dead, lead singer Ronnie Van Zant. Cassie Gaines was one of the band members who boarded the ill-fated flight. }); bday = true; i = parseInt(parts[0]); var script = document.createElement('script'); As he walked forward, he shook my hand. $('#mc-embedded-subscribe-form').ajaxForm(options); Gary Rossington and the heirs of Steve Gaines and Ronnie Van Zant objected to the idea, claiming "the survivors took a 'blood oath' to never use the name Lynyrd Skynyrd again." Cassie Gaines, a member of the backing vocal trio known as the Honkettes and sister of guitarist Steve Gaines, was so petrified that she nearly squeezed in the bands cramped equipment truck until she was reluctantly persuaded to board the aircraft. Contact Justin Vicory at 769-572-1418 or jvicory@gannett.com. if (fields.length == 2){ Tuesday October 20, 2015 marked the 38th anniversary and drew several veterans . Gary Rossington, meanwhile, remained the only original member of Lynyrd Skynyrd in 2019. Dead, lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, Burns and Rossington were noodling around with losses., Oh, God, please Dont take my life front [ in the middle of them in no to! One of the most tragic stories in rock history has got to be the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash that took the lives of lead singer Ronnie Van Zant . Lead singer/founding member Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist/vocalist Steve Gaines, backing vocalist Cassie Gaines, assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, and both pilots, Walter McCreary and William Gray, diedin thecrash. The 15,000-pound monument includes sketches of the band members who were killed. But different members remember different things about Ronnie Van Zants final moments. Aside from the CV-240s age there were plenty of things wrong with the plane. I sat on top of the airplane, which was turned sideways. '; The monument has become one of the biggest tourist attractions in southwest Mississippi, since drawing 4,500 people from 13 countries, 39 states and five Canadian provinces. $(':text', this).each( GILLSBURG, Miss. The Vintage News Aerosmith Said No, Lynyrd Skynyrd Said Yes To The Plane. The guitarist was blackout drunk and ended speeding down the highway in his new Ford Torino when he plowed through a telephone pole before splitting an oak tree and crashing into a house and causing $7,000 worth of damage. Two days later their fifth album, Street Survivors, debuted. In the aftermath of the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash, an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board found that the fatal crash had been due to fuel exhaustion as well as pilot error.