- ACCIDENT DETAILS
Date: October 20, 1977
Time: 1852
Location: Near Gillsburg, Mississippi
Operator: L & J Company
Flight #: ?
Route: Greenville - Baton Rouge
AC Type: Convair CV-300
Registration: N55VM
cn / ln: 003
Aboard: 26   (passengers:24  crew:2)
Fatalities: 6   (passengers:4  crew:2)
Ground: 0
Summary: The crew diverted to Mc Comb because of low fuel. Both engines quit before the aircraft could land and a forced landing was attempted in a wooded area. The plane struck trees before it could make a forced landing in an open field. Lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, 29, guitarist Stevie Gaines, back up vocalist Cassie Gaines and assistant manager Dean Kilpatrick of the Lynyrd Skynyrd band killed. Several other members of the band were seriously injured. Fuel exhaustion due to crew inattention of the fuel supply. Contributing factors were improper flight planning and a malfunction in the No.2 engine which caused a higher than normal fuel consumption.
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