Brett James, the Nashville songwriter who co-wrote Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” died September 18, 2025, at age 57 after a plane crash near Franklin, North Carolina. The NTSB said the Cirrus SR22T crashed during an approach to Macon County Airport, killing the pilot and two passengers. Its available report was preliminary and did not determine the cause.
Brett James, the Nashville songwriter who co-wrote Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” died September 18, 2025, at age 57 after a plane crash near Franklin, North Carolina. James was one of three people aboard a Cirrus SR22T that crashed during an approach to Macon County Airport, according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
James was the professional name of Brett James Cornelius, an American songwriter, singer, and producer whose work included more than 300 major-label cuts, according to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. The Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) separately described his career as encompassing more than 500 recorded songs and 27 No. 1 hits.
What happened in the plane crash
The flight departed John C. Tune Airport in Nashville, Tennessee, for Macon County Airport in Franklin. It was a private, general-aviation flight operated under Federal Aviation Regulations Part 91.
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The NTSB preliminary report says the Cirrus Design Corp. SR22T, registration N218VB, was substantially damaged in the accident at approximately 2:56 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on September 18, 2025. The pilot and both passengers were fatally injured.
According to the preliminary account, the pilot was approaching Macon County Airport under instrument flight rules and requested a visual approach to Runway 07 after reporting the airport in sight at about 2:48 p.m. The pilot discussed making a 360-degree turn to land.
Preliminary ADS-B data showed the airplane descending through a left turn as it approached Runway 07. Surveillance video reviewed by investigators showed the aircraft fly over the runway, begin a descending left turn, and continue into a tightening spiral before striking the ground. Witnesses reported seeing the aircraft at low altitude near the airport and over a nearby school playground.
Contemporary reporting identified James as the aircraft’s owner under his legal name, Brett James Cornelius. The FAA and NTSB were investigating the crash.
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The cause of the crash had not been determined
The NTSB document available in the research for this article is a preliminary report. It describes the known flight sequence but does not establish a final probable cause. Preliminary reports can be revised as investigators review maintenance records, weather information, aircraft systems, medical information, operational factors, and other evidence.
As of the authoritative research date of August 12, 2026, no final NTSB probable-cause report was located for investigation ERA25FA352. It would therefore be inaccurate to say that pilot error, weather, engine failure, spatial disorientation, airport design, or any other specific factor caused the crash.
The most that can responsibly be said from the public preliminary material is that the airplane crashed during the approach sequence after a descending turn and tightening spiral. The official cause remained unresolved in the available evidence.
Why “Jesus, Take the Wheel” became Brett James’s signature song
James co-wrote “Jesus, Take the Wheel” with Hillary Lindsey and Gordie Sampson. Carrie Underwood recorded the song, which became one of the defining early hits of her career and a major contemporary country recording.
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The song won the Grammy for Best Country Song at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards and was also nominated for Song of the Year. The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame credits it with additional honors including the 2005 Academy of Country Music Single of the Year, the 2006 ASCAP Country Song of the Year, and the 2006 Nashville Songwriters Association International Song of the Year.
“Jesus, Take the Wheel” appeared on Underwood’s debut studio album, Some Hearts. For listeners revisiting the recording, Carrie Underwood’s Some Hearts CD is the physical album featuring the song.
James’s contribution was part of a collaborative songwriting team. The song’s success should not be described as a solo composition by James; Lindsey and Sampson were also credited co-writers.
His other major country songs
“Jesus, Take the Wheel” was only one part of James’s catalog. The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame lists a range of major recordings associated with him, including:
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- “When the Sun Goes Down,” recorded by Kenny Chesney and Uncle Kracker;
- “Cowboy Casanova” and “Something in the Water,” recorded by Carrie Underwood;
- “Out Last Night” and “The Truth”;
- “The Man I Want to Be”;
- “Summer Nights”; and
- “Bottoms Up.”
These credits show the breadth of James’s work as a behind-the-scenes Nashville writer. His songs were recorded by artists with different styles and reached beyond a single performer or one commercially successful period.
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A career that began after medical school
The Hall of Fame biography says James was born in Columbia, Missouri, on June 5, 1968, and grew up in Oklahoma City. He left medical school midway through his studies to pursue music in Nashville.
He initially worked as a recording artist before developing the songwriting career that made him better known to country audiences. He later also worked as a producer, with credits involving artists including Taylor Swift, Jessica Simpson, Danielle Bradbery, and Kip Moore, according to the NSAI biography.
The NSAI describes James as having more than 500 songs recorded by major artists, 27 No. 1 hits, and more than 40 ASCAP hit-song awards across country, pop, Latin, and Christian music. Those figures are organization-published career summaries; different organizations may count recordings, chart achievements, or awards differently, so they should not be treated as independently audited totals.
Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame induction
James was elected to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame’s Class of 2020. The Hall’s profile recognizes both his representative songwriting credits and his larger contribution to Nashville’s professional songwriting community.
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That recognition is significant because much of the commercial country-music system depends on writers whose names may be less familiar to the general public than the performers who record their songs. James’s catalog connected him with major artists while allowing his work to travel across country, pop, Latin, and Christian formats.
What remains known about his death
James died in the September 18, 2025, crash near Macon County Airport in Franklin, North Carolina. The NTSB’s preliminary description provides a sequence of events but not a final explanation for why the airplane entered the descending spiral.
Until investigators issue a final report, the responsible account is limited: a private Cirrus SR22T departed Nashville, approached Macon County Airport, flew over the intended runway, entered a descending left turn that tightened into a spiral, and crashed. All three people aboard died. The cause remained under investigation in the latest authoritative material located for this article.
Sources and reporting basis
- Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame biography for Brett James Cornelius, including his dates, career, credits, and 2020 induction.
- NTSB preliminary report for investigation ERA25FA352, covering the aircraft, route, approach, flight path, and fatalities.
- Recording Academy and Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame information on the writers and awards for “Jesus, Take the Wheel.”
- Nashville Songwriters Association International biography for the organization’s published career totals and production credits.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old was Brett James when he died?
Brett James died on September 18, 2025, at age 57.
Who wrote “Jesus, Take the Wheel”?
James co-wrote “Jesus, Take the Wheel” with Hillary Lindsey and Gordie Sampson. Carrie Underwood recorded the song.
Where did Brett James’s plane crash?
The airplane crashed near Macon County Airport in Franklin, North Carolina, during an approach on September 18, 2025.
What caused the plane crash?
No final cause had been established in the available NTSB material. The preliminary report described a descending left turn that tightened into a spiral but did not assign a probable cause.
The Bottom Line
Brett James died at 57 in a September 18, 2025, plane crash near Franklin, North Carolina. He leaves a substantial Nashville songwriting legacy, led by the Grammy-winning Carrie Underwood hit “Jesus, Take the Wheel.” The NTSB’s available report was preliminary, and no final probable cause had been located as of August 12, 2026.
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