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Lynyrd Skynyrd’s plane crashed on October 20, 1977, during a flight from Greenville, South Carolina, to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Six of the 26 people aboard died, including three members of the band. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) attributed the crash to fuel exhaustion and the crew’s inattention to the fuel supply, with inadequate flight planning and an undetermined right-engine malfunction also contributing.
When and where did the crash happen?
On October 20, 1977, a Convair 240, registration N55VM, operated by L & J Company, was carrying Lynyrd Skynyrd from Greenville, South Carolina, to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. At about 6:52 p.m. Central daylight time, the crew reported low fuel and requested radar vectors toward McComb, Mississippi. The aircraft came down in a wooded area about five miles northeast of Gillsburg, Mississippi, while attempting an emergency landing. The NTSB’s accident report, dated June 19, 1978, documents the flight and investigation.
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What caused the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash?
The NTSB’s probable-cause finding was fuel exhaustion and a total loss of power from both engines because the crew did not adequately attend to the fuel supply. The agency also identified inadequate flight planning and “an engine malfunction of undetermined nature in the right engine” as contributing factors. It said the right-engine problem caused higher-than-normal fuel consumption, contributing to fuel exhaustion. The report does not identify a single mechanical failure as the sole cause.
Who died, and how many people survived?
The NTSB counted 26 people aboard: 24 passengers and two crew members. Six people died—both pilots and four passengers—and 20 were injured. The four passenger fatalities were:
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- Ronnie Van Zant, lead singer
- Steve Gaines, guitarist
- Cassie Gaines, vocalist and Steve Gaines’s sister
- Dean Kilpatrick, the band’s road manager
The other band members survived but suffered serious injuries, according to Lynyrd Skynyrd’s official history. The casualty count is important: three of the six people killed were band members; the other three were Kilpatrick and the two pilots.
How did the crash affect the band and its music?
Street Survivors had been released three days before the crash. The band’s official history says the album went gold in 10 days and eventually reached double-platinum status. After the tragedy, Lynyrd Skynyrd disbanded. In 1987, surviving members reunited for a tribute tour and album intended as a one-time return; the tour’s success led them to continue.
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The band’s history quotes founding member Gary Rossington: “We’re still standing, Still keeping the music going. We wanted to do the guys who aren’t with us any more proud – and keep the name proud, too.” The page does not give a date for the remark.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What did reports say at the time?
A Washington Post report published October 21, 1977, the day after the crash, named Van Zant and the Gaines siblings among the musicians killed and reported that other band members were injured. It also recalled Van Zant describing the group’s sound as “Southern Raunchy Roll.” The contemporary account offers a snapshot of the immediate news; the NTSB report is the authority for the later technical finding.
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