Jim Croce's Plane Crash September 20, 1973

This video gives a brief description the plane crash that took the life of musician Jim Croce and five others who were onboard. Below are the coordinates to the locations of several places related to the story.
Prather Colesium:
(31.7445606, -93.0953951)
Austin College:
(33.6463933, -96.5987984)
Relax Inn Motel:
(31.7735836, -93.0862723)
Original End Of Runway:
(31.7288353, -93.0964101)
Tree’s Location:
(31.7272902, -93.0954831)
Wreckage Location:
(31.7271787, -93.0951921)

[@Rotorcraft]

I’m a pilot. I had a flight to the Natchitoches airport one day. While waiting for the passengers in the FBO, and walking around looking at pictures on the wall, I read a plaque that talked about Jim Croce’s crash. Thanks for the video!

[@Stevo_Drums]

I’ve seen videos of this crash site, but I really appreciate your Google Earth presentations. The overlay on the airport was perfect!

[@jandrews2735]

Agreed

[@dashriprock4308]

The Big Bopper death should have been a reminder to musicians that departing very late at night is not a good idea. So many needless plane crashes and loss of life because of get-there-itis. It was terrible losing those guys forever.

[@jandrews2735]

@ did you read watch the video? Why with this pilot run 3 miles? I don't know I can believe that but it's in the NTSB report. Have you ever tried to run 3 miles? The actual NTSB report says this and I wonder if it was a cover-up. Why would they rush the takeoff? Then after he got it up it wasn't high enough off the ground to clear a tree if he turned to the left. This seems a little more complicated than only routine take off at night because of some of the things mentioned. And of course I don't think they should've taken off at night anyway. I would like to know what really happened and I think this video does succeed in making you wonder at least. And I don't know which things we can trust that were told the NTSB if a sheriff was involved in someway in trying to scare them out of town. It's a shame that the FBI didn't investigate this at the time.

[@orange8167]

I still listen to Croce's music today. He was a terrible loss to the music industry. RIP Jim.

[@MD6540-JC3]

Wow, I remember hearing about this on the radio on the way to school when I was nine years old. Had his records, read the book, etc, but I have never heard the sheriff story. Great video. When I read the setlist you posted I thought, no Time in a Bottle?

[@Orangeshebert]

I remember buckets of tears when I learned about the crash. I still love his voice and songs. First time I’ve heard about the sheriff.

[@jandrews2735]

Hard to know if the sheriff appearing backstage and a daughter causing a problem were a true detail; need more info about the source for that part.

[@jaya.0069]

@@jandrews2735 And they very well could have existed, the rush to get out of there because of drugs is believable.

[@jagordon1976]

This is amazing! I was thinking just this afternoon how I'd like you to do a video on the Jim Croce plane crash! My dad introduced me to Jim Croce when I was a kid and still love listening to him. Great video!

[@heffphilat]

Excellent as always Forrest! I am among others that probably requested this story. My father passed away last year and listening to Jim Croce's music reminds me of being a kid hearing it on cassette in the car during long road trips as it was one of his favorite artists. That particular show was also, a makeup show that they had rescheduled, if my memory serves. A sad note on AJ I saw in an interview, he was beaten by a family member and temporarily blinded as a child. He's definitely his father's son listening to him perform. Again, thank you Forrest and Merry Christmas, Happy New Year's to you and yours!

[@skyboy1956]

Not beaten by a family member, but a boyfriend Ingrid had hooked up with.

[@goodtimefolkrock]

finally! I've been begging for this one for years thanks Forest👏

[@dsatt57]

Thank you, Forrest. I remember hearing about his death in the news. Everyone was shocked as he was so young and his career was just beginning. He had solid heartfelt songs. Seems so many stars died due to chartered flights in the 50s, 60s, and 70s.

[@dadaevan]

Another great vid, thanks Forrest!

[@vershaladyn]

It's pronounced NACK-AH-TISH. Also, not much has changed regarding local law enforcement. Don't ask me how I know. Great video.

[@theadventuresofjohnandjennifer]

Thanks, hard name to pronounce.

[@kchall5]

In 1970's rural Louisiana, there wasn't a much worse situation than to be an outsider on the bad side of the local sheriff. Their haste to skip town was fatal.

[@johnneal7169]

@@kchall5 without a doubt. Born and raised an AR since '74. There were some mean rattlesnakes around for sure.

[@thenaturalmidsouth9536]

Generally speaking, rural sheriffs s@ck.

[@jandrews2735]

Rushing to leave town instead of waiting for the next morning was fatal. However I don't think there's any evidence that there was any sheriff's daughter involved in this.

[@proudbirther1998]

@@jandrews2735 Thank you. I agree with you. I said the same thing too about Rushing. I dont even believe the pilot ran 3.5 miles with luggage. To quote Liberty Vance..'When the legend becomes fact, PRINT THE LEGEND

[@kchall5]

@@jandrews2735 Based on this story these guys were definitely in the crosshairs of local law enforcement and were anxious to vacate the area post haste. They didn't do an encore and the 57-year old pilot literally ran across town 3 miles with suitcase in hand. They then tried to take off in adverse weather conditions. All signs point toward a quick, panicked getaway gone terribly wrong.

[@allenaslin812]

Thanks for filling in the details of what happened. Jim Croce lives on through his music with help from his son.

[@dimebagdave77]

Big thanks as always Mr Haggerty

[@btasler]

Once again, THANK YOU!

[@williamcharnow9038]

You did a great job of Solving this Plane Crash!

[@stanleydavis7904]

I wrote his wife years ago and she answered me, it just happened to be my birthday,best present I ever received,she invited me to her restaurant, I don't think it's there any more, it was my 57th birthday,I'm 78 now

[@wingrider687]

Really enjoy your backstory-telling and your visuals… thank-you!!

[@jandrews2735]

If you're going to tell a backstory you need to give the background and sources

[@mynameisvna]

Another informative video! Thanks Forrest!!

[@forresthaggertychannel4301]

Thank you for your support and feedback! I truly appreciate your comments 🙏

[@bobbymccoy702]

like fine wine this channel only gets better,

[@josephschmoe4245]

Best description I've ever seen of this, thank you!

[@stephen5147]

Excellent review. Thanks.

[@Tobi-x6u]

Wow. This story about the sheriff adds some depth to what led to the plane crash. Never heard this before.

[@thefonzkiss]

No pilot is running three miles in the dark with luggage to go fly a plane. Something is off here.

[@jandrews2735]

That's what I thought at first. If you look at the NTSB report and the 2019/2023 news story, and others, it appears to be the case he did go by foot after finding there were no taxis there, something he should have known. A question I have is when he started his walk. They might have phoned him to prepare to leave early when it was still light. This video claims the event ended at 10 pm after playing 12 songs; another set list on line shows 10 songs and one site mentions a 42 minute set. I am not sure where they got the time here for the end of the show although that is not an unusual time with an opening act, aside from it being a Thursday night. Sunset that evening was 7:13 pm per Old Farmer's Almanac online. So there is a question of when was this guy trying to walk to the airport? Was the street particularly well lit? Did he start walking at night? Multiple sources including NTSB state he walked/ran 3 miles from that motel. Google maps shows a 3.3 mile distance. Why didn't the band pick him up? The 2019 USA Today story repeated and added to in the Shreveport Times references the police picking the pilot up to drive the last bit of the walk after he'd already walked/jogged most of it in a worn out looking condition. Another video mentioned him having had surgery from a heart attack the prior year but I don't know if that is true or not. The part that seems factual is he walked and got lost briefly trying to get to the airport, but what time he made that walk, I don't know. It would be insane for the band to have thought he could get there without picking him up. There were not cell phones in 1973 and the pilot may not have known who to call after he realized he couldn't get a taxi, but the band should have used common sense and gone to get him. There are many questions about this story, even the part that is found in news articles as well as the more dubious part of the video that is not in the news stories and NTSB report easily found online. Why would they take off seeing the pilot in the disheveled and worn-out condition he arrived at the airport in after that ludicrously long walk? According to the NWS at www.weather.gov/wrh/Climate?wfo=shv the high in the afternoon was 92 and the average temp was 72 degrees, so it might have been in the 70s when he was walking. The low the next morning was 64.

[@regionalflyer]

My guess would be the threat from the Sheriff in conjunction with his knowledge of what was in the airplane 🤷. If he was that age, with that much experience, doing that job; he likely didn't have a great history.

[@dertythegrower]

lets be honest.. he likely got a ride from the hotel lobby people

[@NJSins8shn]

Yeah I'm thinking "Kiss my ass, Jim" >>>click

[@rayross997]

Great video, Forrest. Perhaps one day you can cover Lincoln's assassination and Booth's escape route & capture?

[@steventrotter4958]

That old hoax? Lincoln is alive and well in Slab City CA wake up sheeple

[@internetuser528]

ooh yes. I always liked the historical videos on this channel. Granted the face of the earth has changed a lot since the 19th century but it would still be cool !

[@rayross997]

@@internetuser528 A few years ago someone posted a YT video & actually found where the farm house was located where Booth was caught. It was just a wooded area between a divide highway. A small sign was there naming the location,

[@internetuser528]

@ I saw that on tiktok at some point lol.

[@dertythegrower]

​@@internetuser528china copying youtube, irony

[@crow1994-bl]

WelI done as always. I've read a lot about this crash over the years. Never knew about the Sherrif daughter angle. I was always curious and found it odd that the pilot had to run to the airport. I think your explanation clears that up. As far as who the Sheriff's daughter took a liken to, you mention a band member. I always assumed that it was only Jim Croce and Maury Muehleisen on stage that tragic night?

[@adamantium1983]

Thanks for the detailed video Forrest!

[@peterzitta227]

Thank you Forrest. I was a big fan of Jim's music when I was a kid. Bad, Bad Leroy Brown was in my 45 collection. I remember my two best friends told me Jim Croce had died and I didn't want to believe them. BBLB was a big hit on the radio at the time.

[@nighthawk7863]

I've always loved Jim Croce's music and I actually researched this myself trying to figure out what happened. However, I really like watching your videos because they include so much good info. Truthfully, I don't know how you got so much info because I couldn't find anything substantial when I was researching this crash. I think that is just a testament of your ability to research. Keep doing what you're doing man! P.S. I actually saw A.J. Croce in concert recently, his drummer was the one who did the drums for animal on the muppets. I highly recommend you go see A.J. if you have the means!

[@jandrews2735]

There are tons of articles and an NTSB report. Much of what he says are in the Shreveport Times article 2023 and the NTSB first report. There is also a later final investigative report some articles mention that faulted the pilot over flying into a headwind and a black hole effect, and there is a Times Picayune article that has other details. I have seen NOTHING referencing the "sheriff/daughter" comments so I wouldn't take those seriously unless he cites the source and it turns out to be a good source.

[@clintbuhs7708]

There's a lot of misunderstanding here about how airplane flights are supposed to happen. It doesn't matter that he made a turn nor that he couldn't see very well in the fog. He never should have been anywhere near that low off the end of the runway. Something went seriously wrong that wasn't addressed in this video. I get that it wasn't clear why it happened, but the implication that the pilot simply flew into a tree by accident doesn't stand to reason. In anything approaching a normal flight he would have lifted off well before the end of the runway and been well above the ground by the time he ever got near that tree's position. The tree was not a factor until things went very wrong.

[@eccentricsmithy2746]

100% correct

[@rmartin5285]

The pilot was Airline Transport rated, which means he had an Instrument Rating. I'm an ATPL and the first place my eyes go when I can't see out the windscreen is the instruments. Perhaps there was a gyro failure that gave erroneous attitude readings. Not sure how fast the gyros spool up in a Beech 18, but it does take time. If the aircraft was started quickly and they were in a powered turn onto the runway, there may have been no time for the gyroscope in the attitude indicator to stabilize. It may have even "toppled" in the turn onto the active runway making the attitude indicator read wrong. Disaster would 100% result if he then resorted to instruments.

[@skyboy1956]

was not foggy. Check the reported weather.

[@BillGreenAZ]

I was originally going to ask "Who TF plants a tree at the end of a runway". Then I read your post and it made sense that the plane should have been nowhere close to the tree. There had to be an issue that caused them to be so close. There must have been hundreds of flights that took off in that direction from that same runway and never came close to the tree.

[@theeater1756]

"hundreds of feet above the ground " Nope. Not on that short of a runway and not in that kind of plane.

[@vltroxell8131]

very informative thank you!!!

[@JCStorm76]

Pilot was 57? Must be a very old photo he doesn’t look a day over 27

[@forresthaggertychannel4301]

It was an old one. Also the only one I could find.

[@jandrews2735]

he must've been a cross country track star to run 3 miles carrying luggage, which obviously did not happen. They had a ride to get to the show and to get to the motel so he at most "ran" 20 feet to the vehicle that took him to the airplane. There's no reason to spice it up with a yarn. The people on that plane are dead and should be treated with respect and journalism that shows transparency on the sourcing. @@forresthaggertychannel4301

[@skyboy1956]

He would be 108 now ! !

[@Jeff_The_Weatherman]

Wow! Didn’t know the backstory on this accident. Thanks for all your research on your videos! 👍👍

[@kvmalley]

I saw him with Loggins and Messina a few months before that happened! What a devastating loss, both of them were fantastic live and I remember what a great night it was!

[@franciscosandiego3026]

Always great video brother from the imperial county ca 🇺🇲🎄🎄🎄

[@2DclanSnipingTeam]

Always love a new Forrest Haggerty video!!!

[@dianealdrich710]

I have a feeling there was a heavy sadness in that town for quite a long time after this. Especially that his songs became very popular in the coming months.

[@fhwolthuis]

Very interesting, the sheriff part was new to me 😮

[@bills6093]

Pennsylvania recently put up a historical marker in his honor. It's at the intersection of Highspire and Creek roads in Lyndell, Chester County.

[@jeffbrown4465]

Worked there for 30 days. It was sad when it went down.

[@bills6093]

@@jeffbrown4465 Reply to the wrong thread?

[@jeffbrown4465]

@@bills6093 I'm sorry, I did that wrong. I was there for 30 days when he went down.

[@mrdave777]

Forrest. You have a channel unlike any other. Thank you

[@Cgopat]

57 years old and ran three miles with his luggage. That's quite impressive.

[@tberkoff]

He died of a heart during the flight which is probably why the plane crashed into the tree.

[@stephen5147]

Woulda been helpful if the luggage had wheels... but probably not in those days.

[@kchall5]

Guess they didn't have Uber back then, and probably no taxis in the town.

[@midgie1166]

Quite doubtful imo

[@jandrews2735]

​@@tberkoff He walked and jogged more than 3 miles according to the NTSB and newspapers. Wonder why the band didn't pick him up in a car.

[@LionHeartFilmWorks]

No matter what I’m doing, I will always immediately click on a new forest Haggerty deep dive video like this. You do amazing work. I love the details and how thorough you cover the subjects.

[@chrislom5288]

Very informative and well created video. Idk why I thought Croce was the pilot.

[@stubi1103]

Just sad and thank you very much Mr. Haggerty for your always very interesting research and above all the very good, detailed presentations. I am German and my father was a pilot in the Second World War. I have been interested in aircraft accidents and their causes since I was a child, heartly greetings from Germany. 👌

[@jinxed_jinxed_3443]

Nice one Forrest. 👍 thanks.

[@ourlifeinwyoming4654]

This is the most detailed look at this that I've ever seen. You did an incredible job on this. Subscribed now.

[@Kim-c8y7v]

Very well put together

[@Aviation.Safety.]

My Dad was one of the NTSB Investigors. I'm NTSB now.

[@jandrews2735]

Did your father know anything about this alleged story about an angry sheriff worried about his daughter and pressuring the band?

[@proudbirther1998]

Thanks for telling us that but TELLING US NOTHING about what your father KNOWS ABOUT THE CRASH.

[@MrPthuman]

your dad was investgator ,where they still in the plane or outside after the crash

[@brrbben]

Great Video! Thanks Forrest!

[@gterrymed]

This is an excellent video. Damn that Pecan tree and sheriff. But still, the left banking turn. Running 3 miles will give a guy a heart-attack.

[@banjo1241]

Wow! Great work!

[@TheRtmac]

I had read somewhere that when the pilot showed up after running the 3 miles, he appeared to be in bad shape, probably led to the crash

[@GaelDT]

Very cool! I was hoping you'd make a video on Jim, he was an amazing singer-songwriter.

[@chrisclermont456]

As a road musician, many times some band I was touring with had to make a hasty exit from town because of local law enforcement (particularly in the South)!! We were traveling on tour buses however!!

[@kentsibille6850]

Your video was full of detailed information and informative. It’s a shame you didn’t research the pronunciation of the name of the town or the college coliseum they performed at.

[@larrytate5605]

great job on the video, thanx for sharing,...maury muehleisen's brother have been to my shop, and i have corresponded with his sister Mary,...very nice people, Maury was the only musically gifted child in his large family. music theachers said he knew as much as they did at one point.

[@luuko656]

Wait...so the pilot ran for 3 miles and then took off?? Also: Awesome channel Mr Haggerty!!! The first video i watched was the X70 crsh site visit, was recomended by youtube

[@internetuser528]

His son looks just like him 😢 I think I’ll listen to his music now.

[@jeffbrown4465]

Worked in Lyndell above Downingtown, PA for 30 days. Croce and wife and kid lived in the Apartment. The owner was making the barn for Croce. I worked and he played Croce's music.

[@stu281]

Again great post.

[@irafowlerjr.7492]

Thank you❤

[@stevebond7387]

Always great videos thank you!!!

[@doiniqueabdel8171]

Man, i got some shivers watching this video, and some tears, too. Everlasting regrets.

[@GiuseppeCivitella-go5ih]

Thankyou for this .Jim was an extraordinary talent and we can’t even imagine how much 8:00 great music will never be heard since the disaster happened.A case of cause and effect .Had that girl not found the band member appealing or had her dad the sheriff not found out what her intentions were they would have stayed the night and none of what happened would have occurred.

[@TenSeven97]

Another event I had never heard of that Forrest makes interesting, thanks!

[@geraldinefields1730]

Thank you. I didn't know any of this or that he had a son who followed in his footsteps.

[@MMMarvelous]

I haven't found any articles on Google about pressure from the sheriff to leave town, and there's another video on KZbin that mentions this same story. I'm wondering if you are both quoting each other or if there was an independent source for the story, as I haven't found it anywhere except for these two videos.

[@stephenmoran9105]

Love thus. Croce is one of my favorite song writers maybe even favorite. AJ Croce had a HORRIBLE childhood, and was beaten by his step father, leaving him partially vision impaired. Someday Ill make a movie about his life. Thanks forest

[@bannedfromtheshow8188]

Another excellent video!

[@garypiont6114]

What a loss. He was earthy.

[@jwwj30]

What a sad, disturbing story, about the sheriff & his daughter. Of course back in 1973, possession of marijuana was a much more serious offense, especially in Louisiana. I’ve never heard why the group left so quickly after their set, but if true, the sheriff & his daughter must have had serious guilt remorse for years.

[@boataxe4605]

I doubt that the sheriff was remorseful. Just another couple of dead long haired drug users in his mind.

[@JohnMat-l1z]

Why should they have guilt? Bunch of law breaking derelict pot smokers wanting to molest a young girl. And to think Croce had a child and wife at home. We need more sheriffs like him today.

[@skyboy1956]

think about that. College town, plenty of hot chicks - at least there were when I was at NSU - not a lot of convincing required to bring one home with you and a band member making eyes at the sheriff's daughter? lol, gimme a break. I'll take "Things that never happened for $200, Alex" It's incredible what people will believe just because they saw it on the internet.

[@danielmurphy2164]

nah , those kinds of sheriffs never lose sleep about a damm thing they do , ive had a few in the area i live in and if for some reason they don't like you you will remain a target the whole time theyre in office . they have no conscience ,they think they just removed a menace to society if someone dies.

[@dongonzalez5084]

Saw Croce at the Circle Star Theatre in San Carlos. He was the opening act for Woody Allen. Just him and Muelison. At the time he was not really well known but they put on one heck of a show. So much so that during Woody Allen's act people were yelling " Bring back Croce, Bring back Croce"

[@RoeVenturesLLC]

7:06 very sad indeed any good stories ? ever?

[@TheLifeandSadEnding]

Forrest, This is an excellent video you have put together. I see you will very soon be joining the 100,000 sub club to which I am also a member. With your attention to detail, you deserve your tremendous success.

[@axiomist4488]

It's always the same story: They're in a hurry and end up getting killed. Happened to Jim, Buddy Holy et al and Stevie Ray .

It happened to the big bopper and Richie valenz, too.

[@jimmyb.6272]

It amazes me that nobody prior to the crash thought a big pecan tree at the end of a runway was a hazard.

[@carlr8061]

Never knew about the others on the plane. Being it was a 2 man band you mean the girl was going to the hotel with one of them ? AJ & I share the same birthday 9/28 except I was born in 1965 so I would have been about to turn 8 back then & I remember knowing who Jim was & knew his songs from the radio but don't know if it was before or after he died. Thanks for posting.

[@MrGruffteddybear]

Still enjoy Jim Croce's music to this day.

[@brycecrousore1985]

You never cease to amaze, Forrest! Worked in radio 26 years; thought I knew all the secret secrets of rock history, but had no idea of the back story on this. Juan at his Blancolirio channel always says one of the biggest causes of crashes is get-there-itis, but this is a whole new twist. So grateful for all these videos recently. Cheers from miserable, freezing rain and 25mph winds in Minnesota.

[@jeffbehringer1262]

Great vid as always. Also it’s pronounced “nack-a-dish” Louisiana. Doesn’t make sense but it is what it is lol.

[@skyboy1956]

Natchitoches is the oldest settlement in Louisiana where the Natchitoches tribe Indians once lived before we kicked them off their land.

[@jkevl]

Wow, to the investigator, producer, and owner of this film is amazing. They did this right, like I’ve never seen before in a doc/investigation! Great great work. I’ll watch everything you’ve produced and get a fulfilling understanding view v

[@rmartin5285]

NTSB report shows both engines producing power at impact, so magnetos not likely, also they did an autopsy on the pilot (what was left). No sign of a heart attack, but perhaps another cardiac related ailment that distracted him.

[@rmartin5285]

....also......if you look at the tree in the crash photo, it appears no more than 75' tall and the hit about half way up. So the aircraft was likely only 50' above the ground. It was likely going to crash, tree or no tree. At 165 knots and only +-50ft high, you will be into the next line of trees, or the ground in short order.

[@skyboy1956]

Pilot's autopsy showed severe "coronary artery disease" or CAD. There is no way to know if the pilot experienced a heart attack, angina, or any related symptoms that may have impaired his performance.

[@Notladjr59]

It’s not “Natcha-doshes”. It’s Natchitoches which is pronounced “Nack-at-ish”.

[@KathrynsWorldWildfireTracking]

Whoa, i see the Otay Mountain Alert Wildfire cam, on the list of statewide cams every day each summer. Never knew such a famous plane crash occurred there. I'm sure the crash long pre-dates the cam...but if it happened today - im sure the xans would swing around, detecting the fireball with Ai.

[@randyrisch188]

He was scheduled to play a concert that Saturday night in Northfield Minnesota. Never happened, much shock and sadness

[@scotkelly9880]

Thanks for the video, the name of the city is pronounced Nak-a-tosh :)

[@markwiygul6356]

Very well done, excellent, and interesting. Can you give some source information as to what happened with the officer threatening the band into taking flight on sudden notice like that? (for a wikipedia edit source information) At one point it sounds like they were in a rush to get to the young lady, but later I realized she must of been from Natchitoches and they weren't in a rush to meet up with her, but simply fleeing away instead . . . Fleeing and Flying don't mix well.

[@forresthaggertychannel4301]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/jnKlqoecjbR0sLcsi=Bpjp_Vi5xUn3TDOo

[@skyboy1956]

that's a rock solid source there ! ! 🤣🤣🤣

[@2DclanSnipingTeam]

If you're looking for suggestions... how about Randy Rhoads?

[@chrislom5288]

That's a wild tale but pretty well covered already. Still, I'd watch it

[@miked5539]

Two-five, one-six are how the runways are referred to by we pilots.

[@ValThor-s6z]

Unless there was an eyewitness there is no real way to tell if the pilot did a mag check for both 'L' and 'R' mags to measure RPM drops. Pilots always do mag checks before takeoff but sometimes they have inflight engine problems anyway.

[@forresthaggertychannel4301]

There was an eyewitness.

[@skyboy1956]

The FBO employee was there.

[@danieldoss1987]

I was a just a kid, but I was really into his music.

[@rufuspipemos]

The pilot was 57 years old but looked only 25 years old. Croce was 30 years old but looked 57.

[@manley1979]

Can you please do a video on the Doheny Greystone Mansion? How the heck did the city/state end up owning this estate? Why don't they sell it for market value rather than spending $$$ to upkeep?

[@normanfawley7379]

What a bloody shame.A great performer.I play one of his songs on my guitar.

[@jaylongino8225]

My brother helped set up audience chairs at Austin College for the concert that never happenedd.

[@alanpope179]

I knew he died in a plane crash in 1973 but not that it happened on my 14th birthday. Still love his music

[@michaelmccollister7482]

Gotta wonder WTF that pecan tree was doing there...

[@daleschroeder-jm9gu]

I was at his bar in San Deigo had a GREAT time there😁

[@DF-ee8vt]

There were several interesting details here that I've never heard before. If the story about the sheriff is true, he probably still feels guilty if he's still living.

[@seltaeb9691]

So many artists have died in plane crashes from Buddy Holly to this day. Always small planes or helicopters that come unstuck, with no flight plans or pilots not thinking about weather etc.

[@skyboy1956]

Yeah that no flight plan is a killer !

[@kenfrievalt7826]

I take it pecan trees are considered a hardwood?