On October 20, 1977, Lynyrd Skynyrd boarded a plane they already distrusted. Their concerns were entirely justified, and the flight ended in tragedy. Just three days after releasing “Street Survivors,” their fifth album, the band left South Carolina, heading to Louisiana, when their aircraft ran out of fuel. The pilots attempted an emergency landing, but the 30-year-old beat-up Convair CV-240 went down in a wooded area near Gillsburg, Mississippi. The crash killed lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, backup singer Cassie Gaines, assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, and both pilots.

Lynyrd Skynyrd formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 1964, though they didn’t settle on their iconic name until 1969. Led by Ronnie Van Zant, the group blended blues, rock, and country into what became known as Southern rock. By the mid-70s, they cemented their place in music history with songs like “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Free Bird.” Tragically, the 1977 plane crash cut their rapid rise short.

By 1977, Lynyrd Skynyrd adopted an aging Convair CV-240 for their tour travels

The manufacturer built the CV-240 from 1947 to 1954. As such, the band’s plane was decades old and showing clear signs of trouble. 

On the flight to Greenville, South Carolina, where they played their last concert, flames shot out of the right engine. Some band members voiced concerns. Backup singer Cassie Gaines was especially reluctant to board the airplane again. But Ronnie Van Zant dismissed their fears. “Hey, if the Lord wants you to die on this plane, when it’s your time, it’s your time. Let’s go, man. We’ve got a gig to do,’” he reportedly said, convincing the others to board.

They didn’t realize that the plane’s right engine was burning fuel at an alarming rate. The pilots flew past the last safe airport.

As the CV-240 neared Mississippi, the crew realized they needed to make an emergency landing. They made a desperate attempt to touch down in an open field. Instead, they crashed into trees, tearing the fuselage apart. Drummer Artimus Pyle survived and described the impact as feeling like “a thousand baseball bats” hitting the aircraft.

The wreckage was a shockingly brutal scene. One of the pilots was reportedly decapitated while the other landed in a tree. With cracked ribs, Pyle stumbled through the woods to find help. A nearby farmer, unsure of what had happened, met him with a shotgun before realizing the gravity of the situation.

Three band members, their assistant road manager, and both pilots died. NHTSA investigators later ruled that the crash was caused by ‘fuel exhaustion’ and the crew’s lack of attention and poor decision-making, All That’s Interesting shared. 

Of course, Lynyrd Skynyrd was never the same after that night. Of note, the “Street Survivors” album cover featured the full band standing engulfed in flames. The cover was later changed to a plain black background. A decade later, Ronnie’s younger brother, Johnny Van Zant, led a revival of the band. But October 20, 1977, remains one of the darkest days in rock history.