Sad Things Found In John Denver's Autopsy Report

Folk legend John Denver was famous for his anthemic and radio-friendly brand of country songwriting, but he was also an accomplished pilot… so how did his final flight go so horribly wrong?
#JohnDenver #Singer #Musician
Voiceover by: Tim Bensch
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[@GrungeHQ]

What is your favorite song by John Denver?

[@minnowpoo]

I'm leaving on a small plane

[@nannie2846]

Calypso

[@KittyBeans369]

Rocky Mountain High

[@michellepetrillo2235]

Annie’s Song.

[@chriscampbell9207]

Country Boy ONLY one i like..not my style music

[@BigEightiesNewWave]

Leaving on a jet Plane, the song, his voice is a miracle, something singers today cannot match. No auto-tune, just talent.

[@user-qs7gx7rp7m]

Those of a certain age and spirit know John Denver expressed things in his songs that touched us deeply. Every time I happen to hear him, I'm instantly transported in time to the happiest of my days of my life . . . and he wasn't 'grungy', didn't need to be 'edgy' and never tried to be 'edgy' for attention. Had some close friends just like him . . . Believe that was the secret to his success.

[@michaelryan2416]

1st album that I ever owned was Rocky Mt High I was entranced by the melodies. I was about 11 years old. A very fond memory. Made me want to move to the woods. I was a Brooklyn boy at the time. It set me imagination afire

[@kevinm4022]

My mother got me into John. I will always love his music. His music makes me remember her. I want to think about his life and his music not his death

[@swampy6194]

He was incredible to see Live, sounded even better than his Studio recordings.

[@Inkling777]

Another factor in the crash bears mentioning. Experienced pilots saw that awkwardly placed fuel switch and told him to never try to switch tanks in flight. They suggested he watch his fuel status and return to the airport when the tank he was using ran low.

[@workingguy6666]

I think I'd rather unbuckle my straps to reach the fuel switch. It seems like he wasn't watching his fuel levels.

[@bugsysdadenterprises]

I saw a good video demonstrating the difficulty in shifting fuel tanks. It involved unbuckling his safety belt, then twisting full to his left to reach the valve. The natural tendency doing this would likely have you pushing with your right leg to help twisting nearly 180 degrees. One theory was that he put the plane into a hard roll, and lost lift by inadvertently pushing the rudder with his right leg. He was at a low altitude and had very little time to correct the nasty roll. I don't have any knowledge of the Long EZ, but from what I've heard is that it isn't a very stable air-frame, in upsets. Once he mashed that rudder down hard, it was all over. A hard right roll moment stalling that wing and it was over. God Bless him. I'm sure he has some nice iron to fly in heaven. The Lord likes pilots, since he's claimed quite a bunch.

[@FLPhotoCatcher]

@@bugsysdadenterprises Some were claimed by the *other* side.

[@bugsysdadenterprises]

Indeed, that's the sad truth.

[@genuineimpulse9134]

He came every summer and stayed in a hotel I worked at in Jackson Hole WY. He drank a very expensive Remy Martin Cognac in 1994 it was $ 35 a shot and he'd tip the staff a bottle so we could all try a tiny taste.

[@theresamealer3314]

What an awesome memory...thx.for sharing♡

[@kevinmarsh5101]

Probably a bottle of Remy Martin Louis XIII. Probably the second most prestigious Cognac in the world besides Esprit De Courvoisier which contains Cognac that was distilled the year of Napoleon Bonaparte's coronation as emperor of France, making it close to 200 years old.

[@markw208]

His music was different than almost anything else at the time. In the 60’s and 70’s there was a lot of drug experimentation by many artists. John Denver’s songs were about honest, introspective living. I wasn’t a big fan but his death was very unfortunate. He still had a huge following and had more to offer. No one filled his shoes

[@chriscampbell9207]

I found his music a bit too "goody goody"...pop and rock fan

[@doilyhead]

​@@chriscampbell9207 Am into all kinds of music including heavy metal and punk. Loved John Denver. Am still mad about how he died.

[@ralphmorris8149]

Ooh Chris John's music spoke of life's true high's. Flying like a bird, horse back riding in his beloved mountain's.pop and rock n roll have their place mostly in the adrinel gland. Love Elvis, Beach Boys, even the Stones. But John had a pedes tel all his own. ​R.I.P John.@@chriscampbell9207

[@KLGB25R]

I'm listening to John Denver right now.

[@catherinesvbialosh7260]

I loved his music as a young child and sang Country Roads and Leaving on a Jet Plane everytime I was putting my son to bed ❤❤

[@thewatcherresurrected]

Sunshine on My shoulders is my favorite Denver song R.I.P.

[@charliec5653]

Why anybody would put a vital engine control in such an inconvenient place is a mystery to me.

[@arthurfoyt6727]

If you are afraid of running fuel lines into the cabin, you remote mouth the switch. Simple.

[@chrisroberts5668]

It should have been much much bigger, so you could just reach over your head,, /, shoulder and turn it easily.

[@bill2066]

GRUNGE! It wasn't "Changing Engines." It was Changing Fuel Tanks

[@eldenstrawder6176]

Can you imagine the pilot says well its a good time to take that engine out and put that new one in before we land at Kennedy air field 😅

[@bill2066]

@@eldenstrawder6176lolzzzz

[@woodsie5474]

I was looking to see if anyone else noticed. It is at 2:34. Most people seeing how the lines were run, used the longer route of putting them in the front so they wouldn't have to stretch to change it. My father, before his death, considered buying one that someone else built, but they followed the original design of behind the pilot plumbing. That made the decision for him.

[@Ashas.Garden]

I enjoy his music. R.I.P.

[@davidjaap2130]

Im not sure how to put it, its like he eas able to put my feelings into words, then song. My favorite song was Annies Song. RIP brother. 🙏❤😥

[@marilyntaylor9577]

All these years, I thought he had built it himself. Thank you

[@cliffordbowman6777]

Me also

[@danwebb4418]

Any place that they love music as much as they do in Ireland is home to me. John Denver Cork music festival, Ireland, 1986, before he broke into Back Home Again..

[@ScottyColoradoKid]

Why do you talk about his drug use so much when he was totally clean & sober at the time of the crash?

[@ggeorge4144]

It shows his character. People who use drugs to cope have serious problems.

[@WayneLeng]

@@ggeorge4144 Not necessarily true. Just look at the society we are living in, especially the United States and say that.

[@missscarling]

If someone has ever done acid they can have a flashback at any time, even years later.

[@soniatorres5227]

My very fav is Country Roads. How crazy to get on an experimental plain . RIP still missed

[@supergg07]

I was nine years old. I lived about a mile away from his grandma that lived in corn Oklahoma, then found out that my aunt by marriage was his cousin.

[@dreamnumber99]

Annie's Song what a classic

[@ZENmud]

He asked me to park his Porsche 928 at the hotel I worked, in Vail, in 1982 or 1983... I did💔

[@scattysafari7742]

Awesome. Did it have the Far Out license plate it had at one point?

[@ZENmud]

@scattysafari7742 I don't think I ever looked at it... we were just chatting, and he asked: "can you park it?" 😇 Flipped me the keys 🔑 and I just put it in our lot; $10 or 20 tip...

[@rockit6553]

I love all his stuff but particularly Looking for Space. When that song finishes I can't even move, so transfixing.

[@Cindy-mp8xo]

That song came out while I was in high school and I didn't pay much heed to it. Now it is so relatable.

[@cherylb2008]

He simply ran out of gas It was a cluster ____. Of wrong moves in a new altered plane.

[@crazyprayingmantis5596]

Note to self, don't fly planes built by amateurs

[@nightstand68]

That goes for submergables as well.

[@mikeedwards2621]

@@nightstand68very true!

[@shannonnewman3091]

Yep

[@Mizgrievoux]

If I ever reach rockstar status it’s a giant air whale or wheels, no small planes or helicopters for me 😂

[@ericsonhazeltine5064]

I would never fly in a machine that I assembled myself

[@jumpingspooder]

He died 5 years before I was born. If he were still alive today, I would've loved to meet him. Beautiful music from a man who loved nature.

[@shannonnewman3091]

R.I.P.

[@lilybond6485]

What a sad demise for him.

[@micheleaustin794]

I'll always love John Denver, he showed me how to live through his music and visions. He carried me to calmer days especially when I was a very young child in a very emotionally abusive home. He's home..... and soon I'll be able to hear him sing again. It clearly was a perfect day to fly him to heaven 💓💓💓💓💓

[@KeithHays-ek4vr]

John was an experienced and exuberant - but not good - pilot. I watched a video he made where he pulled a very untidy loop - and thought it was pretty good. - He could have flown with more fuel on his last day, and chose not to. - A very good man, filled with enthusiasm for life - and good causes - but not a great pilot.

[@flyer5769]

This taught me never to fly an airplane I have to unbuckle to do something important.

[@jrlagoni]

Met him when he was staying across the hall in a Pebble Beach hotel during the annual golf tournament. I think Feb 1995. He was very nice and normal. We both had our significant others with us - who happened to be 2 blonde beauties. Those were the days! Now I am 71, alone with a dog....but a great dog!

[@HailAnts]

Ok, here's the deal. He ran out of fuel shortly after takeoff. The plane had been modified putting its fuel selector out of easy reach of the pilot. Denver had to unbuckle himself to operate it. In doing so it took too much time to switch it, the engine stalled, he could not restart it before crashing into the sea. The impact was so severe that his head was severed in the crash, and possibly not recovered. That's it..

[@Tinbender-zr4jd]

Actually, you have that wrong. According to the accident report, his engine was running just fine. It is believed that when he twisted to change fuel tanks, he would have inadvertently moved the control stick to the side when he was looking backwards which caused him to lose control of the aircraft. It is called pilot induced upset with spatial disorientation.

[@Foo007]

Fun Fact: “Take Me Home Country Road” wasn’t actually about West Va - it was about Clopper Rd. In Gaithersburg, MD

[@JohnDoe-ot3zd]

Was a great singer. I miss his music.

[@pilot3016]

Correct! The FAA had revoked his Pilots License.

[@gregobern6084]

John Denver appeared at Edina High school to demo his first album and say he approved of non violent protest against the war or Kent State, I bought 2 of his albums which were similar to "Mamas and papas meet peter paul and mary"

[@transformer889]

tells something that we already didn't know

[@doctorfiber1]

Grunge! He WAS NOT changing engines, he was switching tanks.

[@KLGB25R]

I believe you'll find that "was technically illegal" = "was illegal"... :-(

[@robstanton9215]

NTSB doesn’t prevent you from getting a medical or suspend your pilot certificate. The FAA does and will suspend it but will also allow a reissue with a new medical after I think a year if you can prove you aren’t a risk for future DUI. In other words he needed to complete a court mandated rehab and have doctors sign off that he was okay to fly and not a risk to be flying or driving under the influence.

[@arthurfoyt6727]

It still shows bad judgement to fly illegally; and that "bad judgement" also was seen in his not topping off before flying a plane that he knew almost nothing about.

[@robstanton9215]

@@arthurfoyt6727 I agree with you there

[@Mizgrievoux]

If I ever reach rockstar status it’s a giant air whale or wheels, no small planes or helicopters for me 😂

[@funjuror]

When I looked at Kermit the Frog, I see John Denver.

[@1bol390]

they were great friends.

[@sandyblue4235]

I l9ve I'd rather be a cowboy the melody is haunting and beautiful

[@ImpendingRival]

If they make a Movie about him, Josh Hartnett should play him

[@tammywooley2635]

The biggest and most fatal mistake he ever did was buy that plane and not listen or read the consumer reports

[@earth2006]

What did the space shuttle have to do with any of this.?

[@John-cy6lr]

I'm leaving on a jet plane😢I guess you're right.

[@jackzimmer6553]

Fly and experimental should never be in the same sentence unless you’re in the military and a test pilot. My father in law was a test pilot for the USAF!

[@ggeorge4144]

That is not true. As a CFII with thousands of hours flying time I have built my own airplanes and flown many experimentals. It is not something that is dangerous if you know what you are doing and take proper precautions. It is sad that stars that crash make it seem reckless to uninformed people.

[@jackzimmer6553]

@@ggeorge4144 I’ll take your word for it.

[@robstanton9215]

There are a huge category of experimental class aircraft that you can buy built by the manufacturer or in kit form. Cub Crafters, Piper, Rans, KitFox, Highlander, etc., etc.. The list goes on and on. Most bush planes fall in the “experimental” category. Experimental in aviation doesn’t mean what many think it does.

[@arthurfoyt6727]

@@ggeorge4144 It's dangerous if you buy someone else's "project" and assume the wrong fuel burn numbers. An O-320 can burn almost 15GPG in full rich and full power at sea level.

[@attygarland6909]

MY GOD, I'M A COUNTRY BUOY .. !

[@sandyblue4235]

My dog died in the same year in November

[@Laakona]

in the early 1970s, during gas rationing and shortages, Denver was found to have 2 10,000 gallon in-ground gas tanks on his property in Colorado.

[@Jkaye13]

So..? Your point? Do you think he was the only rich person to have gas at his property? Money can buy what money wants..

[@m_a_s6069]

How did he keep his pilot's license after a few DUIs?

[@cynthiagonzalez658]

I had all his albums. Too bad they all got left behind and lost.

[@careycrowson-ud2px]

I love it when people who obviously know nothing about their subjects post idiotic videos. Switching engines in flight??? Btw, John was clean and sober when the crash occurred occurred. Silly video.

[@arthurfoyt6727]

Well, regardless of who you are, airplanes still need gas. Don't short the gas.

[@davidswelt]

This is such a poorly researched report. A pilot is not going to "switch engines" in a single-engine Long EZ (and in any plane, for that matter), And the NTSB is not the agency that issues, or denies medicals for pilots. I gave up at that point. The problem with the fuel selector is well-known.

[@kurtissutley1485]

It was not "technically" illegal. It WAS illegal for him to be piloting the plane. He did not have a valid pilot's license. That's as good as not having one at all.

[@reggiefurlow1]

Why would you try to fly something " experimental" that just sounds bad

[@jltuttle1667]

"You feed the dogs... I'll feed the fish" (J. Denver)

[@fredtedstedman]

GRUNGE and JOHN DENVER not 2 closely associated subjects ??

[@morenointl]

Interested

[@MsBackstager]

Still telling us zero! :(

[@jeffreyhall2136]

Change engines?

[@MAgaSUXX]

Why you bring up drugs, and alcohol? They had nothing to do with this crash.

[@philipbuckley759]

focus on the topic autopsy.....other than his body was destroyed in the crash, I cant think of any important information that would be found....in the autopsy..

[@savagecub]

“Trying to change engines” ???

[@kenyapressley6706]

HE WAS KILLED

[@chriscampbell9207]

Stop the conspirarcy theories

[@theflyinghamster8442]

licence revoked to fly but still does. At least he didn't kill anyone.

[@mojito-alongtimeago]

3:15 nothing sad in autopsy. Why the misleading title? … Sad most times someone dies.

[@jackspeer2127]

Is that a Zaouli mask on the wall behind you?

[@chriscampion9906]

It sucks that the loction of a fuel switch cost the lose of this this mans voice sn song writing

[@manuelvazquez8758]

So the sad things found at John Denvers autopsy was just a lie to get us to watch this video. Why would I or anyone else watch another GRUNGE video?

[@ArizVern]

NO PILOT LICENSE NEEDED FOR EXPERIMENTAL OR HOME MADE PLANE.

[@arthurfoyt6727]

Ah..... no. You still need a pilots certificate and medical.

[@robstanton9215]

No certificate for ultra lights which are not the same as experimental.

[@DanFrederiksen]

Cocaine is a helluva drug

[@patriciaschuster1371]

More money than brains.

[@kiaramcneese8501]

Note to self do research on the plane and pilot that’s why the submarine drowned because a amateur built it

[@JayRee1993]

Bad build.

[@arthurfoyt6727]

Bad pilotage.

[@JayRee1993]

Guess you didn't watch the video.@@arthurfoyt6727

[@MrMike9ed]

He was a convicted wife basher. more than one domestic violence report.

[@linda10989]

Ikr? Didn't he destroy his marriage bed with a chainsaw?

[@1bol390]

Convicted? I never heard of him laying a hand on any of his two wives.

[@jeannehall6546]

There was a report that a load of guns, rifles and other ammunition were found in the trunk of his Porsche in the airport parking lot the day of his death. It’s possible that he had an elaborate plan to commit suicide.

[@judydenver5362]

This isn't true, at all, so sorry. He had ONE gun, locked in a gun case, for self defense, in the trunk, if he got attacked, when he was alone, without his Bodyguards, I KNOW.

[@cliffordbowman6777]

Please don’t start that crap

[@mikesuch9021]

You know I would imagine everyone that tries to change an engine in mid-flight would run. IF YOU CANNOT NARRATE THE VIDEO YOURSELF GET THE HELL OFF THE CHANNEL

[@Susieq26754]

Note to self....just because someone looks like a peaceful hippie doesn't make him one. He could be a Nazi.😢

[@rockpadstudios]

He was a creep

[@user-tf7ur7xe3f]

D. Pickens on the Dead. , Boo🛟