FINAL FLIGHT of John Denver

[@Tola.831]

Well done. This is one of the most researched and informative short documentaries that I have seen. I am the mechanic that was the last person to see John Denver alive. As you can imagine, this was a horrible tragedy and has had a huge impact on my life, much more than I can convey in a comment. One thing I will point out is you answered a question that I’ve had for 25 years, and that was the labeling of the fuel selector valve, before it was painted at the shop in Santa Maria. John and I spoke at great lengths as to what position was what, regarding the fuel selector. All of the labels near the switches, circuit breakers, fuel selector and fuel gauges were gone, when John and I talked. The aircraft had been parked in the maintenance hangar where I worked over the weekend, I happened to be out on that Sunday, doing my IPC with my flight instructor when John asked to retrieve his airplane. Being the only person on site on a Sunday, with keys to the maintenance hangar, I offered to help him get his airplane. He had always been very friendly before when I encountered him flying his Christian Eagle (located in a separate private hangar), so I was happy to help him out. We talked about the modifications that he intended to do for about 45 minutes. I loaned him a fuel sump cup and a 2” Mac Tools inspection mirror. I also provided him with three options of pliers during the discussion of extending the fuel selector handle, so he might be able to reach the handle better. The plier fix was a terrible idea and I did not like the idea of him using pliers to extend the reach, because it increased the force applied to the mechanism. Anyway. So much, much more to the story. Out of respect for John, I only spoke to investigators for about twenty years. I finally gave two interviews when the 20 year anniversary was coming up. John had offered for me to go with him that day, and I declined. The “survivors guilt” was very difficult to come to terms with, but I have learned immensely from the whole experience. May John Rest In Peace.

[@TakingOff]

Wow. Thanks so much for sharing.

[@pilotchristy]

Wow, thank you for sharing your experience! I appreciate the kind words and am honored you took time to comment.

[@Tola.831]

@@pilotchristy I also responded under RV6 driver comment. There is much that hasn’t been made public. As mentioned by others, there was a lot of misinformation and a lot of hurtful speculation after the tragedy. Oddly enough, The Globe and the Enquirer were more on track than many mainstream news sources. That time period opened my eyes to what “news” really often is, and by that I mean just garbage. The Australian government publishes a magazine called Flight Safety, and beside the NTSB, they got the facts correct as could be. Again, your short version here was well researched. Thank you.

[@andrewknight1446]

Then you for sharing.

[@stevetaylor5382]

As other's say, thankyou for sharing. You did nothing wrong.

[@kristiross2387]

Thank you for telling John Denver’s story in a way that a person who doesn’t know planes can understand what happened. I grew up in a little Colorado town an hour from Aspen. We would go to his free concert on the mountain. It was awesome! When I was 10ish we were walking back to our car after the concert and John Denver drives up in a jeep. He stopped and said, “Hello beautiful!” My little 10 year old heart melted! He gave us music and autographed something for me. I still have the pictures my Dad took of him. He was a great singer and did wonderful things for our community. He is still missed.

[@butchyshoe]

He will forever be missed. So sad .

[@ours809]

@@butchyshoe not our kids he could have killed would be missed think people or at least try to think

[@marrae52]

He left for us to cherish his blessed music forever!. . .Anytime I hear a John Denver song. . . He's alive! RIP, dear John

[@handbikeamerica]

I love his singing and songs. RIP AS YOU WAIT FOR Christ’s return to take us all home to heaven.

[@tombrown108]

Fuel is not measured in gallons, it is measured in time. I never left with less than 3/4 of a tank. Inverted into a house and street because of that is not acceptable.

[@Max50ww]

I really like the way Christy told this story. John Denver’s legacy has faced loads of ridicule. Christy told his story with compassion instead. The world could use more of this! Good job Christy. I’m proud of you.

[@jamesburns2232]

The line boy who offered to refuel John's airplane for him said he was rudely rebuffed by John Denver and therefore felt no remorse later on when John Denver crashed his plane. 🥲

[@pilotchristy]

Thank you for the kind words!

[@Rocketman88002]

@James Burns, it would be interesting to check out your story. The FBO may no longer be living nor the refueler. Where do you suppose we might get a record of all that transpired at the FBO before the crash? Some caution should be exercised before condemning the actions of a dead man....he can't defend himself.

[@Tola.831]

@@Rocketman88002 . I am the mechanic that actually offered to have the fueling performed. The line person was a young man by the name of Kenny (“boy” seems odd to say, but I was only 23, and Kenny was maybe a few years younger, so yes… we were just boys at the time.) Kenny was standing a few feet away when I offered to have Kenny put fuel in the airplane, explaining to John that he did not even have to get out of the plane (JD was at that point seated in the Long-Eze.) John’s words were, “I’ll be fine, I’ll only be up for about an hour.” As for myself (I won’t speak for Kenny) I don’t remember JD as being rude, but the situation was shocking since the fuel appeared to be so low and I made it clear to John what the fuel level was. I believe I remember Kenny asking John again just to make sure, and again John declined. Up until the point that John had climbed into the airplane, the nose gear had been retracted and the airplane sitting on its nose. Because of the heavy motor in the back, the aircraft was very tail heavy and a small gust of wind could flip the aircraft on its tail, thus why JD kept it on its nose during most of our time talking and getting it ready. John asked for a mirror so that he could look over his shoulder and see the quantities in the sight gauges on the sidewalls of the aircraft. Again, there were no placards indicating the quantity of fuel in each respective tank. My estimation of 1/4 to 1/3 was only viewing what I could see on the sight gauges. With the actual shape of the tanks not being square, those estimations were only visual indications of some non linear quantity. (Not sure that makes any sense). Kenny left to go fuel other airplanes soon after that, and had gone into the FBO and apparently told Carolyn (young lady behind the desk) that I was going to go flying with John Denver. Kenny had been standing there when JD made me the offer to go flying with him, but I did not reply and over the course of all the conversations and what I observed, I made up my mind that I wasn’t going to go. Kenny assumed that I would go, thus I believe he mentioned it to Carolyn. I stood there chatting with JD about various things, but internally I struggled with being more assertive about my concern, Ultimately I did not say anything more to him about the fuel level. That is definitely one of life’s hard lessons that I’ve had to carry with me through the years, but believe me, I don’t hold my tongue now. After JD taxied away, and I closed the door on the maintenance hangar, I wandered over to the FBO (to flirt with Carolyn), and she said, “I thought you went flying with JD” apparently something that Kenny had told her. I replied to her, something along the lines of he’s going to run out of fuel, that’s why I’m not going with him. I sat on the couch in the FBO chatting with Carolyn and watched JD do a couple of touch and goes. I was just getting ready to leave (to go to Sunday evening church service) when my pager went off. I was a member of the Monterey County Search and Rescue team and the pager message was, “Airplane Crash. Big Sur. Report to substation.” Just then, a call came in from one of the managers of the FBO who lived near the crash site, and he was at the shoreline and could see the floating debris of what clearly was a fiberglass airplane. One of the first things he asked was if the FBO had recently refueled an experimental aircraft (having concerns that bad fuel caused the plane crash that he was looking at.) Carolyn told him that no fuel had been sold, that it was John Denver and that I had been invited to fly him him. The initial reports were that John Denver and another pilot were in the plane, that had crashed. Of course, that was corrected some time later. I remember thinking, I need to get going to respond to the plane crash in Big Sur and then started wondering if they were one and the same (Pacific Grove and Big Sur, to a local are not the same place). I called my mom and said, “you know that record that you have, Rocky Mountain High ??? I think he just died.” My mom said, “you mean John Denver??”, and I was “ya. That guy.” I had run into John Denver many times before and always found him to be pleasant, but I had no idea of his incredible fame. Soon calls started coming in to the FBO from the FAA, the NTSB and a ton of news organizations. I just sat on the couch shaking, looking at my pager, unable to move, thinking I was just talking to that man, and almost went flying with him. The only other thing I remember from that evening was talking to someone claiming to be with the NTSB and that a team of them were getting on an airplane immediately and coming to Monterey. I was asked to not talk to anybody until they got there, and they wanted to meet with me right away. They called back a few minutes later and said they would be in Monterey the next morning, and that I should go home and that we would meet the next morning at ten am. I didn’t go to church and I didn’t respond to the SAR pager callout. I drove home in a complete fog, starting to feel physically ill to my stomach, which didn’t go away for months. In reality, that was just the start to what eventually took three years to wrap up, involving lawsuits and much internal reflection.

[@Tola.831]

@@jamesburns2232 see my reply to your statement.

[@rustycrossland5497]

I moved to Aspen in 1994 because of John and his music. I met him in town a few times and spoke only briefly. I actually attended his last concert in Aspen in the late summer of 1997. That October, a number of my friends and I went fishing in Brazil at a time before good cell service. When I landed in Miami after the trip and checked my cell for messages, I had dozens about the crash. Over time I became friends with Annie. Our ski lockers were next to each other and also became friends with JD manager Hal Thau. We were fortunate to sponsor John's memorial concerts every October on the anniversary of his death for 10 years with many of his former band mates and even joined Hal in helping bring John's music to a Broadway play. It was a terrible emotional loss for me. John's music moved me and still does today:(

[@108things8]

I still grieve. As a 6 yr old I saw him play then 16 to Aspen to ski- at 24 to Colorado to start my life. His music is a soundtrack to so many lives, and mine too. I heard him today and long for a country road to take me home. Blessings.

[@jonreiser2206]

John’s death was an absolute tragedy. His music was special and his soul was angelic.

[@carolray9156]

He was very talented but he was human and as such had many demands drug and alcohol abuse as well as infidelity.

[@PQV-8898]

Sure that was fine and dandy but the guy was an alcoholic and was caught DUI on several occasions. Dude was also a so called environmentalist yet he was flying planes and not just that he was stunt flying. The guy was danger to himself and to others. WTF?

[@jonreiser2206]

@@PQV-8898 we are all complex. My opinions of the man are just that, mine. I am aware the man had his faults.

[@silverfoxidm]

I’m not sure about his soul (dc 88.15) angelic; yet, he made something of the guitar 🎸! Needed to learn not to be a law - breaker , definitely, Mother Eve’s child ! We don’t need that kind of attitude in the skies !

[@silverfoxidm]

@@PQV-8898 Like so many he was his own worst enemy (2 Cor 13.5)! I think the Bk o Mrmn would have helped him a lot to apply (1 Ne 19.23) those precepts (Hel 3.29 -> 3 Ne 27.27!) Maybe he is having that chance now, 1 Pet 3.18-21; 4.6; dc 138.55-58! The words of life (Moses 6.59) are just that , Jhn 5.39!

[@teledoink]

John Denver was a huge part of my life growing up. My mom was a super fan and his music was playing in our house literally all waking hours. In the car, in our camper when camping, in our house, and while swimming in the backyard pool with speakers propped up so the entire neighborhood could enjoy, the air was filled with John Denver. In the early 80s my family lived in a house at the foot of the hill where the Concord Pavilion sat. Mom worked part time as an usher/ticket taker at the Concord Pavilion, and to her great joy John Denver came to play some shows. My Mom went to see him one night and then worked the show the next night (not sure which, actually, it’s been a few decades.) The day of his first show I was standing outside with my neighbors just chatting and hanging out, right below the hills covered in cows. Someone pointed to a slim tanned man with blonde hair wearing running shorts and no shirt jogging down the dirt road that ran down the hill. We all watched as his hair flopped as he ran. It wasn’t a usual site to see someone coming down that hill. As he came closer we all watched in shock as his features came into clear view. It was only when he passed that one of us gasped and yelled “IT’S JOHN DENVER!” He waved, smiled, and kept on running past us and down our suburban street into the distance. My Mom was heartbroken to hear that John Denver jogged past her house and she didn’t get to see it. But she did get to meet him as she had somehow finagled her way into going back stage to deliver him some food and beverages. She got to kiss him on the cheek and he was very kind and gracious to her. I always think about him and his sad passing when I visit Pacific Grove. My husband and I stay at a hotel right at Lovers Point that overlooks where his plane supposedly went down. My Mom passed this year and everyone who knew her mentioned John Denver songs in their memories of her. Take me home country roads.

[@tkingtut9079]

What’s the name of the hotel?

[@teledoink]

@@tkingtut9079 Borgs

[@florencepratt389]

Me Too. My mom and I loved singing along

[@utubeBob66]

As a previous military and civilian aircraft incident/accident investigator, I commend you on a very professional review of this accident. In particular, a very nice summary of chain of events and lessons learned toward fuel handling of experimental aircraft and willful violations of flight regulations. Well done , Major Phillips USAF Ret

[@TakingOff]

Thanks!!

[@clintprice2123]

What a wonderful delivery of this story, it was a horrible event but you said it with such kindness and respect while laying it all out. He was an amazingly talented man and although he’s gone we can listen to the beauty of his voice and music and for those moments he’s still here and smiling. So rest in peace John Denver you’ll always be remembered admirably.

[@ConradSpoke]

In 25 years this is this first explanation I've ever heard about Denver's death. Thanks!

[@madelinechriston8970]

I'm 61 now and a dialysis patient. I needed something listen to to make the time pass. I thought about John Denver and how beautiful his music still is. I stumbled upon this channel and it filled in a lot of blanks. I don't believe anyone at the time recieved all the answers they were looking for. Thanks John. I also want to thank this wonderful mechanic for taking the time to write in. I could only imagine how difficult it was and probably still is for him. God bless everyone who came here, perhaps to say a few words of remembrance to a man who never really got a proper goodbye. So many people loved him and loved his music. I know he's in heaven somewhere, singing his songs for the people there. God always takes the best way too young. I'm greatful for the short time we had him and how he made us all feel when we listened - and we all did stop whatever we were doing to listen.❤️🙏

[@pattiday431]

Madeline, My dad was a dialysis patient. He loved John Denver's music and used to listen, as you said "to pass the time", a lot of time. If he was feeling well we'd sing, Almost Heaven West Virginia, Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River, life is old there, older than the... or, You fill up my senses, like a night in a forest, like a sleepy green ocean, like a walk in the rain.... I'm going to pray my Rosary. I usually nod off as I pray. I am going to pray for you, that you recive the healing your body needs and that Jesus restores you to health. I hope that's ok with you. I will pray for 3 days, for the days Jesus was in a dark, dry well. I feel blessed to read your comment. God bless you . See you soon. Patti

[@Krisna_K]

I found this channel while on dialysis last night! 😂

[@madelinechriston8970]

@AlaynaMae Too funny! I wish you well. Feel good my friend!💞

[@madelinechriston8970]

@pattiday431 HI Patti. Thank you for your heartfelt note. I really appreciate your kindness. God bless you. I've noticed that so many good people have gravited to this site, as it seems we all have a lot in common. I think we all long for the quiet peace that was present at a certain time in our lives. It lets us forget the turmoil that currently exists in our world today. I really miss having John Denver with us, though it was sad to hear that he had his demons too. Guess we're all human. ❤️ Take care.

[@michaelehrhart9670]

He was ridiculed for being the nerdy country singer, but he had one of the greatest voices of our time! RIP, John...you were too good for this rock...

[@kirkslayden834]

But as I grew up I thought his songs were pretty awesome and I was interested in led Zeppelin Three dog night iron butterfly I had a vast array of choices that I loved but definitely John had some pretty badass songs God bless

[@brianwarner4340]

AMEN. GREAT VOICE, GREAT PERSONALITY, GREAT MUSIC, GRACIOUS, KIND, THOUGHTFUL...HE REALLY WAS TO GOOD FOR THIS WORLD....SAD.

[@philipmiller5036]

Add Roy Orbison and Dion DiMucci to the great voice list.

[@NancyLiedel]

I'm almost 60. I loved John as a kid. Thank you.

[@vicargento8230]

I was a personal friend of the very talented John Denver. I knew him when he first came to California to begin his career. We became good friends and it is a terrible shame that he lost his life so young. Rest in peace John.

[@theresahilbig6923]

I loved John Denver's music. I started playing the guitar so I could sing his songs with accompaniment. I was so sad to hear of his death. RIP 🙏 ❤🎶

[@cassie6583]

It's a shame you feel like that. He wasn't living for you. He lived longer than most people and died doing what he loved. So quit your bellyaching and go hide back under the rock you come from pea brain.

[@amypatterson9851]

I always wonder what happened to John. I still do since she lied about Alabama (pushing propaganda) I doubt everything said in the rest of the video.

[@treasaseoighe9001]

Loved him as so many do in Ireland 🇮🇪

[@rudybishop9089]

@@amypatterson9851 I know his pilot’s license was suspended and never should have been flying a plane that could have killed innocent people on the ground?

[@GregHolsen]

John Denver flew directly over us on the freeway as we heard the sputter of the plane - it was clearly recognizable as I even pointed out to my wife " look it is one of those experimental planes" and when we reached home we heard that he crashed. So unfortunate and weird to know that was mere seconds before we lost this music legend.

[@hlowrylong]

Payne Stewart’s plane was directly above us in Gainesville FL right around the time it was announced that the plane had gone silent … if I remember correctly … it made it all the way to SD … still sad to think the group likely died directly above us …. 😮😢

[@snotnosewilly99]

The fuel selector control meant nothing....just fill the tanks with fuel and he would still be alive. Don't take off with near empty fuel tanks.

[@nightflight1454]

@snotnosewilly99 l have thought about that for a long time. I'm not sure why John didn't top the airplane off that day .However the long ez has incredible range for its size ,I think something like 2300nm on a full tank .He had enough fuel on board to fly a few hrs at least .l think he ran the left tank dry and didn't switch it in time and caused the engine to quit ...then when he reached around to try and turn the fuel selector he push in some rudder and that caused the airplane to roll into a wingover .The long ez has very sensitive rudder input at low speed .He was not that far from the runway ,I think he could have almost turned around and glided back for a landing ...he did many things wrong that day .Which was very much not like him He was a proficient pilot for sure

[@karinbernhardt8747]

@@nightflight1454 Thank you for this info. 👍🍀

[@moronicpest]

A small story here about John Denver's love for his fans. In 1978 my family was in a rental house in Estes Park, CO due to being dislocated after the Big Thompson flood. A friendly next door neighbor girl around 10 years old got to know us, and talked about what a fan she was of John Denver. She had sent him a belt buckle she had made for him, and told us that she saw him wear it either at one of his concerts or TV specials, I forget which. Nice gesture by both of them.

[@PeachWNK]

I’m from Colorado. Wasn’t the flood in 1976? I miss Estes Park! I moved in 2020, and it’s one of the few places I miss.

[@moronicpest]

@@PeachWNK Yes Peach, the flood was in the summer of '76. Our family was out shopping in nearby Loveland but the storm had washed out the road so there was no way to get back to my dad's home where I was visiting on summer vacation. In a couple of days we were able to get back through using someone's 4 wheel drive vehicle, and saw that his home was swept away completely by the flood in the canyon, so my father had to start over and rebuild in a nearby area called Meadowdale which was away from the canyon. I did vacations in Estes around 20 times in my youth. Had to be the most picturesque place I've ever seen.

[@playbassken]

He died doing something he loved to do and I remember that day very well. It was a somber day, especially being such a fan of his music and acting. May he rest in peace.

[@ananda_miaoyin]

I was in the Air Force at McClellan when it happened. We are all going to die - do it doing something fun and cool. If I eat it while rock climbing...well, it could be worse.

[@JesusismyRock773]

People will only rest in peace if they accept Jesus Christ, repent of their sins, and follow Jesus. He died for all of our sins.

[@BenDecko2023]

Something he loved? He took off to go buzz Clint Eastwoods house

[@shaneherian3638]

I had the honor of seeing John Denver in concert 5 times. Thank you for giving him an honest and well researched video of his crash.

[@nottthereyet4872]

He was not who we all thought he was ~ in the end.

[@shaneherian3638]

Nott There Yet Please explain what your comment meant. I would like to know. I am always interested in knowing the truth. Even if it hurts.

[@nottthereyet4872]

@@shaneherian3638 Yes, let me get back to you in a few.

[@nottthereyet4872]

@@shaneherian3638 I'm in my 60s now, so obviously I enjoyed all of John Denver's music back in the day and still do. Good memories. 🍃 Will never dismiss the quality of his talent and charm. So bear with me. In the 80s, after college, I worked for a holding company which represented many major companies. The CEO was very vibrant and progressive at the time. Well liked, good contacts. Horatio Alger award and all that. A lot of New Agey aspects came into place even in our workplace, i.e. fitness center, meditation room, positive thinking, amazing benefits, etc. It actually was a cool place to work. And . . . there was a great deal of public promotion for our progressive CEO. Because of all that promotion, CEO came to the attention of John Denver and the Planetary Citizens group in which JD was heavily involved. So CEO was invited as a special speaker at a retreat this group was holding in Snowmass, CO. That's where I came in. Although I oversaw office operations and word processing (back then) I was asked to personally work directly with his speech writers for confidentiality which consisted of an Oxford grad and an astute former Hollywood marketing woman who continued to have direct communication with actors like Bruce Willis at the time. To give you some reference. This was huge to CEO at the time. I was there to edit and format the written speech and cards over and over again. During that process, with some materials that crossed my desk, I personally began to notice a lot of buzz words and concerning issues with the rhetoric and ideals of Planetary Citizens. I remember wondering if CEO knew what he was injecting himself into - or did he know - and who was I working for? It was some heavy thought process for me. I kept silent. Let me explain. During the mid to late 80s (we didn't have the internet back then) on my own time, through books and other materials, I was made aware of the hidden agenda of the New Age movement, and all that it involved, as it was called at the time. It looks amazing! It's healthy, right? Peaked my interest, so I did a deep dive, but of course never discussed it with anyone except close family and friends. To cut this shorter . . . CEO went and returned home. I was told by speech writers that CEO was so alarmed by the agenda at the retreat and discussions - it was as IF he'd seen a ghost. He NEVER wanted to connect with John Denver or anyone connected to him again. And we were to NEVER discuss it again. Aggressive world depopulation tactics to reach only 500 million, Nazi type agenda, bizarre behavior among participants, Buckminster Fuller map up for display, you name it. It was not what he signed up for. He had no clue what he was getting into, and thankfully CEO had the presence of mind and character to rethink what he had become involved. But these types of organizations actually do exist and still do - and with heavy hitters. $$ Fast forward - CEO took his own $45-50 million and the company downsized quickly and eventually closed completely. Fortunately, I still look forward to a decent pension which grows every year before I decide to take it. 72 is my cut off age.

[@jthomeskillet]

He lived how he wanted. If you haven't had a misstep in your life you're probably not doing alot of living. Rest easy John Denver

[@stairgauge]

Would you feel the same way if he had crashed into an apartment and killed a couple of families? Just asking.

[@lorimart747]

Great Singer but became a knucklehead. He could have crashed into a neighborhood. I am surprised that plane was even allowed to fly.

[@rods6741]

My missteps have always been on the ground. He took unnecessary risks.

[@nightflight1454]

There was nothing wrong with that airplane .John made some mistakes that day and he run that airplane out of fuel by not switching the fuel selector to the other tank When he did that he has to turn around and reach over his left shoulder to reach the selector .He accidentally kicked in some rudder which makes the long easy start to roll and at low airspeed he wings over and heads straight down with not enough altitude to recover .The long easy is very sensitive to rudder input .

[@Msfifisquarepantz]

Yes. He did. No one could advise him.

[@elm6765]

My ol' buddy simply didn't do his due diligence on this fateful day... Government licensure had nothing to do with it... I miss him whole heartedly... "I am the eagle, I live in high country In rocky cathedrals that reach to the sky I am the hawk and there's blood on my feathers But time is still turning, they soon will be dry And all of those who see me, all who believe in me Share in the freedom I feel when I fly"~John Denver May his Spirit soar with the eagles over his beloved mountain peaks through eternity! Great report!!

[@brianwarner4340]

YOUR REPLY HERE FREEMAN KING IS A MOST WONDERFUL TRIBUTE TO OUR BELOVED JOHN DENVER. I LOVED THAT MAN, HIS BEAUTIFUL SMILE AND HIS WARM AND MAJESTIC MUSIC. NO ONE CAN EVEN COME CLOSE TO HIS FANTASTIC BEAUTIFUL SPIRIT, EXCEPT FOR OUR RISEN LORD JESUS CHRIST, OF COURSE.

[@elm6765]

@@brianwarner4340 I love you too my brother!

[@Markusmerchant]

Well done episode. Denver’s death indeed tragic and unfortunate. Seemed like a nice person. In Atlanta, GA in the mid 70’s, saw his concert at the Omni. My Mom is a nurse and had a part time gig in the arena first aid station. After his show I was able to go backstage. There, standing alone was John Denver. As I approached him he extended his right hand and said, “Hi I’m John Denver.” Still resonates how humble he was, even posing for a Polaroid photo. Rest in Power John!

[@elbolsillo]

That’s cool. How old were you?

[@ac.7724]

You must have been at some great concerts at the Omni in the 70's!

[@flitandersen9315]

Fascinating. Never understood how he could have not switched over the fuel tank in time. This explains that. I - personally - would not have flown this plane more than absolutely necessary without at least a full primary tank until I got that switch moved back where it was supposed to be. Loved this man's music. It's a shame he had to go so soon.

[@wilsonrawlin8547]

100% Same here. Too risky. Or always top off fuel before every flight.

[@billsmith281]

With homebuilt aircraft there is no hard & fast rules to where the fuel selector has to be, he also wouldve had more difficulties with the placement due to being not very tall. The pressure of trying to reach it as the engine cut out & the inadvertently pushing the rudder, after undoing his harness.....sealed his fate. I didnt know he was flying without a current license

[@patmartens4751]

I have always loved John Denver’s music and at 94 I still do…. I also believe that your time to go is your time to go one way or another, his music lives on…..thank you John Denver.

[@thecelt4807]

congratulations i sincerely hope you make 100 and beyond much respect

[@blakeh6250]

Awesome!! 👌

[@dianeuecker5186]

Amen, I am 62 & he lives on in his wonderful music. The last time I saw him was at River Front Park in Spokane WA. It was a wonderful day that I will never forget.🦅

[@mmarsh1972]

My Uncle knew John Denver well, they were next door neighbors in Aspen. He said he was a very nice guy, very humble and down to earth despite his fame.

[@franklinstahl3711]

I just found this by chance and was curious about what had happened in the crash. Thank you for putting this all together. It was much more complicated than I had thought. John Denver was truly a wonderful, talented musician.

[@paullang9711]

I grew up listening to JD and his loss hit my folks and my siblings really hard. We were so frustrated and lost at the lack of an explanation for why he crashed. I stumbled upon your site and I'm glad I did!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you so much for your experienced analysis and commentary and for handling his loss with passion and sympathy. I'm passing this video along to my Dad and siblings so we can all let go and close that chapter that's been left open for so many years. Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@mariaorourke5236]

I had heard about the problem with the reserve fuel tank before, but I still found this a sensitive and informative video. Funny thing about us humans. We always want to know 'why?' I read many years ago that the human brain is 'a causality focused cognitive machine'. It's the way we make sense of the world. I doubt if the field maple tree wonders why it is shedding it's leaves in autumn, or the earth wonders what caused the earthquake. But we are human and we always want to know. Good thing too.

[@kurtbolyard]

John Denver was an inspiration. He lived life on his terms, being human with some missteps along the way. I was always inspired with his love for Annie. John's music was always so pure, like the mountains and streams he so loved. He said he would come back as an eagle, I hope he got his way. His death was a tragedy, but we are the ones that lost something great that October day. I hope his spirit will live on for many generations to come in the form of such beautiful songs. Growing up in the sixties and seventies, I worked with my father every day in the summers. We had and hour drive to work every morning. Dad never turned on the radio. I thought he hated music. Through his fifties until he passed at 81, I only heard him listen to one artist. He went to sleep listening to his John Denver tapes most every nite. He said everything else was noise and that John Denver was the only thing he ever found worth his time to listen to. I remember people talking about John's troubles with alcohol and my dad saying people should shut the hell up and just listen to what John had to say in his songs. I really respect a man that could reach my dad's soul with music. RIP John Denver. You are missed.

[@kellymccance1962]

Absolutely. Very well said 👏

[@mikesanders4012]

There's a man named Ted who has devoted himself in playing JD's music the exact same way. Not only a gifted musician but Ted looks like a lone lost twin. It was amazing to see his concert.

[@markpreston6930]

That's terrible that your dad was hooked on John Denver reruns and claimed better music is noise. He was a boring ass.

[@kurtbolyard]

@@markpreston6930 buzz off troll

[@charlesmiddleton3247]

Saw John numerous times in concert and learned to play guitar with his songs. After my Marine Corps days, I Hitch-hiked to Aspen, Colorado (1977) and stayed a month camping and hiking hoping to see him. He opened my eyes even more as his songs guided me in becoming who I am... John died doing what he loved... flying! Thanks so much for this informative video.

[@patrickdoyle9369]

Your words are { John died doing what he loved... flying! } He wasn't flying at the time of death.. His head went though the cockpit window before sinking to the depths. He shouldn't have been flying in the first place, He was breaking the law and not for the first time.. Using drugs and alcohol even crashing his car as well. Didn't do what was asked of him and got what was coming his way for the result. I have no time for idiots and No Sympathy for him.. This is why words and education are so important. The results show he had no alcohol or drug use, but that's not the point he shouldn't have been flying in the first place, again breaking the law. And he was not experienced enough in that plane.. Again no sympathy for idiots. Instead of buying planes and expensive one at that and cars, he should have stuck too opening and closing his mouth for singing, and used some of the money he was over paid for in getting his hair cut. Men have short hair, and ladies long hair if they like.

[@charlesmiddleton3247]

@@patrickdoyle9369 I definitely can understand your point. The man had many issues and problems in life and never should have been doing anything that jeopardized his or others life. I was taking flying lessons while stationed at an airbase back in the day. My instructor was a chain smoker and the day of my lesson, as we were up in the air , I noticed the smell of alcohol as he talked. He was very erratic in his maneuvers as he was instructing me. I never went back after that and reported him to the director of the flying school.

[@ZootyZoFo]

@@patrickdoyle9369 - I bet you are a blast at parties.

[@archlich4489]

Thank you for your service

[@charlesmiddleton3247]

@@archlich4489 Thank you for your thoughtful words! We Vietnam Era veterans were totally cast aside and forgotten along with being ridiculed for just serving this nation. It took me over 3 decades to just say that I served! Your words are so appreciated. Have a safe and blessed weekend...

[@dennisalanlaws3872]

Thank you! I’m a retired USAF Pilot with over 5,000 hours. Had a dear friend who tragically died in a crash just short of the runway at John Wayne airport in the late 1990s. He was flying a 4 seat Paris Jet on a demo flight for 2 Aviation Magazines. The entry ladder was left on the right side of the cockpit. They took off and tried to immediately return to the airport behind a B-757. They overshot final, stalled and crashed into a building short of the approach end of the runway. Sadly all three people in the plane were killed. Would love to see you do a similar research and presentation. Thank you. D. A. Laws

[@graceedson1355]

Most folks loved John Denver. What a sad day that was . He made such beautiful music. Rest in Peace !

[@stevenburkhardt1963]

I heard a lot of negativity towards him from kids on campus at CSU. I was a non-traditional student and grew up with his music.

[@chouseification]

@@stevenburkhardt1963 well yeah, he was a drunk , a cokehead, a cheater, a hothead to random strangers, etc... he pretended to be this "good wholesome boy" but was really one of the worst of the bunch, by far. Enough of those details leaked to the public via his arrest records, etc that the illusion was fully burst for anybody paying even a tiny bit of attention to him. I was a fan of John Denver & the Muppets album as a little kid, but long before he died in this plane crash, I and almost all of my peers had come to think of him as roughly the same as the current take on Steven Segal... pure loser and he had lost all of the karma he had previously earned. Not just not a hero, but an actual dirty word. When he crashed, and we found out why - nobody was surprised... his big ego got him _again_. The jerk was flying even when he knew his license was suspended. It's not like we "hated" him, but he was a wonderful punchline from the late 80s up until the time of his death... just those stupid gloves missing the fingers (that he loved to wear) was enough material to do a standup routine on alone. :P

[@darthvadar2757]

I was in monterrey the day he crashed . This was a great loss. My tears told me the amount on influence John had in my growing up and still in my life today.. no one can ever forget his rocky mountain Christmas show filmed in a massive plexiglass dome with snow coming down outside. A butterfly landed on his guitar during a point he was talking to the audience. A magical moment to all . His music is timeless . His love for nature immense. His love of the rocky mountains as the most wondrous beautiful place on earth extremely founded. I finally traveled to Wyoming to Yellowstone and spent 3 months hiking the rockies in Northern Wyoming and up in Montana. And I can say it is prehistoric in all its beauty. All the earth's history lay before your eyes and feet. You could live a thousand years there and never see one percent of it or ever get bored. It's been 3 years ago now and my soul longs for my return there. It is where I feel I have finally found home. You get a mental and body awareness high there. Everything becomes so real and alive there. I will never leave there when I do go home. To that rock mountain high.!

[@kenancell6952]

This was a great report on the death of John Denver. I had heard a number of hearsay reasons of his crash and this explains a lot. Thank You!

[@dbspecials1200]

Yes it seems pretty clear he was ok to fly, but this particular arrangement just got the best of him that day and he couldn't recover. being as low in altitude as he was probably didn't help either.

[@garyolafson8303]

Hearsays are correct. This is wrong in blaming the plane

[@dboboc]

@@dbspecials1200 He was NOT ok to fly; his medical was revoked.

[@maryanderson9492]

John Denvers' music and soul will live forever in our hearts. He was put on this earth to impact people's lives with his songs! Rest in peace John Denver, and thankyou for the memories.

[@bobbysikes1700]

John was special.Miss you John.

[@JesusismyRock773]

John is only resting in peace if he accepted Jesus Christ sacrifice on the cross for all of ours sins. If he repented of his sins, and tried his best to be following Jesus Christ, then yes, he is in heaven with our Lord Jesus Christ. No one knows what goes on in someone's mind the moment they realize that they are going to die. I pray he cried out for Jesus Christ before he died.

[@djstotsky]

Your accident review and tribute to John Denver is so well done, sincere and touching. Thank you truly. I’ve lived in Boulder Colorado for most of the past 45 years in part because of Rocky Mountain High. John Denver touched a lot of people in a most personal way. You helped convey this by reviewing his legacy. Thank you again.

[@carlc5748]

My brother, Ralph L. Carpenter has lived in Boulder for many years, have not been able to locate him. He was last working at a restaurant doing food prep, maybe you have seen him around?. He loved Colorado, and before living in Boulder, he lived in Eldora, and Nederland. He is 6'1-2" inches tall, about 190 lbs. shoulder length hair, 67 years old, but looks much younger. I lost contact with him a little more than a year ago. I came on this site, as I have had a very deep respect for John Denver for his lovely music, and as a great humanitarian, and read your comment. My brother Ralph, has been into playing the guitar for decades, and was a pro soundman that worked with many bands. He lived in New Zealand for two years, working professionally to set up the sound for touring bands there. After his 2 year visa expired, he told me basically, "I chose to live in Colorado, because it was the best representative of the natural beauty that I saw hiking, and exploring around, living in New Zealand". I know this seems kinda crazy, kinda e-mailing you this, but I've done more "unorthodox things" than this, just wondering where my brother is, we've always been great friends, thanks, Carl

[@valiskierka7226]

@@carlc5748 Spokeo has a Ralph L Carpenter living in Nederland.

[@carlc5748]

@@valiskierka7226 That must be him, but not familiar with Spokeo, thanks very much!

[@dthomas9230]

@@carlc5748 Boulder and the mountains are the finest parallel to New Zealand. Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a Kiwi. Kiwi's cant fly and fruit flies do like kiwi fruit.

[@carlc5748]

@@dthomas9230 I take it that you've been to both places, and you are waxing quite poetic, as well, thanks!

[@Menempotente]

Excellent video. Christy's video is compassionate and consistent with the NTSB findings and our understanding in the Long-EZ community of this unfortunate accident. -John Denver fan and 2000hr Long-EZ pilot

[@DavidJones-kb3bd]

I am a pilot and was a huge JD fan. I got to see him a couple of times in concert. A really great showman and performer. I was sad when he passed. Thanks for the show. Of all his mistakes here, the one that gets me is his failure to fill up the tanks. I ALWAYS leave with full tanks, because you just never know...He saved maybe 30 minutes at the cost of many years...

[@williamdykes2750]

Three most useless things for a pilot: sky above you, runway behind you and fuel that is not in your tank. RIP JD.

[@mariaorourke5236]

I've never flown (not even as a passenger) but I gather a plane gobbles up fuel.

[@DavidJones-kb3bd]

Yes, they do! But just like leaving on a drive in your car, sometimes people don't fill their tanks because they did their calculations wrong and they run out of gas. There are reasons you purposely go with less than full tanks (you need the extra weight for your luggage), but you take the time to be sure you have enough plus a buffer. This was so tragic. @@mariaorourke5236

[@lorettanericcio-bohlman567]

I was working the front desk at The Marc Plaza in Milwaukee WI in 1979 or so when John Denver and band stayed. They called for extra towels and I offered to take them up. Well who should open the door but Denver himself! I was shocked as I thought they had left. He offered me a pair of tickets if I could get someone to work for me. At the time I was more into Led Zeppelin but I did organize my job and a good friend picked me up and we went. Front row seats in a great acoustic theatre with a rotating stage, I was in heaven. Bless you John Denver. Keep flying free 💕💐

[@ValerieGriner]

Great story of his kindness and generosity.

[@johndibble4722]

As a Pilot and a John Denver fan, I am really happy I stumbled across your site. Very well and objectively done. Some of it I didn't like because it tarnished my memories a bit but your honesty and completeness made it proper. Congratulations. Since Bert Rutan is one of my heroes I am also happy to hear that the goofy fuel switch location was not by design but a later modification by a previous owner. All in all a fantastic job. I have subscribed and look forward to more. As a helicopter pilot I would love it if you looked into Kobe Bryants (I will check now and see if I missed it in case you have). Keep up the objective, humanitarian approach. We are all flawed - some get caught.

[@collette9008]

John Denver has always been my favorite folk singer. I loved everything he sang. He had a voice that just pulled at my heart. I miss him but his songs live on.

[@mittman9977]

A terribly tough story to tell, Christy! As others have said, you did a wonderful job. Thank you. May Mr. Denver Rest In Piece. Let us hope that his loss may save another life some day.

[@Amphictyon1]

"Rest in Piece". Interesting play on words.

[@joyceanthony-huff2914]

He rested. In pieces

[@CanadianCowgirl1955]

I just spoke of John yesterday wondering exactly what happened to cause his death in an airplane. It's so sad. I really loved his music. He was an exceptional singer and song writer. John will live on in our hearts forever. Thank you for this outstanding clarification of how John passed. You're flying high now John. xo

[@Whitegorillaboy]

Yep, you're correct. He was flying high, as he always was.

[@paulmcsweeney3241]

As a lifelong fan of John Denver, I already knew most of the facts around this incident. However, this report highlights to me that a typical accident is rarely caused by a single factor. The chain of events started many years ago, and, coming in from several different paths that all met up at the accident site off Monterey. Some single different decisions might have prevented the accident, but looking at history is much easier than what we often face at the moment. Hopefully some lessons were learned that might have prevented others from making the same mistakes. Thanks Christy.

[@tommurphy4307]

i've flown many planes that i was unfamiliar with- and the most important thing to do is check and double-check everything on the checklist- but i always did it under the tutelage of the owner/pilot. the guys usually made me do all the checks twice and record all the results- and then they also went up with me. some of the guys who didn't fly the plane every day would also have the fuel tested, as well.

[@judydenver5362]

Thank you, Taking Off, for this really cared for, detailed account of the events of John's great loss. I could see the emotion in your face, while you covered the events. There were alot of wrong things going on with that whole day, and we begged John to stay and play another round of golf. things could have been so very different, and he could still be with us today. I did just want to say that John's birth name, is actually pronounced like "Dutch"endorf, and that is why his dad's nickname was "Dutch". the other letters are silent. But the way you said it is a common mistake so no worries. I appreciate your selfless study, and dedication to John's memory.

[@TakingOff]

Yeah we learned after posting. Thanks for the kind words.

[@charleymason3310]

Yes, a well done piece. Needless to say I enjoyed his work very much. At this time of my life (78) you fine yourself reflecting quite often. Interesting that I live in Apache Junction AZ and our highway to Canyon lake, Rt 88 is named "John Denver Highway" .. Thanks for this.

[@amypatterson9851]

I always wonder what happened to John. I still do since she lied about Alabama (pushing propaganda) I doubt everything said in the rest of the video.

[@randyman1739]

Actually, she pronounced his last name perfectly. Sounds like "toy chen dorf". Deutschendorf is German and means "German village". A lot of Americans like to sub Dutch for Deutsch, but the Dutch are from Holland aka the Netherlands. I'm part German and lived in Stuttgart, Deutschland (Studgarden, German land) for 3 years and had a Dutch teacher (Van der Meer) and Dutch friend (Vermeersch) in grade school in Michigan...started Kindergarten (Children garden) in '69 n remember hearing John Denver a lot in the 70s in our home and at my 2 cousins' house, which was right next door to my Dutch friend's house. Of course I loved JD's music and one of my cousins (RIP Dougie) even looked a little like him when he started to wear glasses. After Germany I spent 33 years in the DC area in Northern Virginia aka NoVa...aside from 4 years spent in the Air Force where my last year I also was at Carswell AFB at a B-52 in shop repair squadron. Two years prior I spent 2 years at Kadena AB in Okinawa, where my brothers n sisters are on the front line facing the China/Taiwan showdown...pray that they be safe as well as the whole world at this point...as the biblical great tribulation is soon here. 🙏✝️ Back to NoVa, I used to drive to Charles Town and Harper's Ferry, West Virginia to take in the beautiful scenery and you can bet in my 1 hour drive I would catch "Take Me Home" and sing it at the top of my lungs when I'd get into the foothills of WV! 🎵 I now live in the DFW, TX area again. I'd forgotten just how long ago John sadly left this world and do remember hearing his crash was due to a lack of fuel, but the explanation here sounds valid if true...what a bad design for fuel control by having to undo your seat belt(!), then the very real possibility of inadvertently hitting the steering controls with your foot like that. But also, I'd heard about that DWI or 2 of his before this tragedy and upon now, hearing his drinking issues were cause for him to be banned from flying, I just have to wonder, and I hope I'm not out of bounds nor implying he did this on purpose, whether he might've tried to end his life. Flying was definitely a great passion of his and maybe he received more stern warnings that they were going to ground him permanently...I can't imagine him ever complying to their demands...or maybe despite it all he was showing how he can still fly responsibly despite their assessments of him...idk. As a pilot in a new type of plane with that kind of complicated fuel control issue, I'd have thought he'd need way more than 500 ft in altitude to safely complete that task with plenty of room to manuever and recover. Just my thoughts on the latter...I wonder if his friends or family noticed any notable difference in him in the final days leading up to the crash. Gone, but not forgotten and I can't wait to see him in heaven and ask him "Was ist los mein Freund?" 👋😃

[@judydenver5362]

@@randyman1739 that might be the geneology of the origins of the name, but John Denver, himself, and his father before him, hence the nickname his father had, of "Dutch", pronounced it "Dutch-en-dorf."

[@jaimeariasfarias6520]

I was a rpivate pilot for 30 years and took instructions and safety very seriously; not all pilots do and accidents happen. I liked John Denver songs and as a former pilot one is always sad to see any pilot die. Thanks for the excellent and very respectful presentation. Al the best in your flying: Being very careful with safety and mental or tiredness conditions is very important to avoid accidents; be thorough in your air plane checking, and take your time to do it, and to take off and land safely!! Regards, Jaime ARIAS Santiago, Chile

[@MsDelola]

Well done,thank you.I met John when I lived in Aspen,loved him to the moon and back.my heart broke when the news broke.He was much loved by friends and family in Aspen,To this day,I miss you bud.RIP John. Out of all I met in Aspen John was the best.

[@edwardstowers7272]

John’s music and life greatly affected me growing up. The things he sang about, like nature, the mountains, flying, astronomy and coming home resonated. It was like he was singing my songs, not his. I never met him, but I’ve had the good fortune to get to know several of his band members. All still speak highly of him. We still gather several times a year around the country to celebrate his music, but most notably in his home town of Aspen, Colorado, where we just held the 25th year of John Denver week during Aspen in October. No, legally John should not have been flying with a yanked cert, but he loved flying. It was magic, freedom and a close association with his deceased father. The two main causes were the fuel selector placement and the low fuel levels in the tanks. He was also low having reportedly buzzed Clint Eastwood’s house. The lack of fuel was John’s fault. That was a pilot error, but it should have been survivable. With over 2,000 hours of pilot time he would simply have ditched if he ran out of fuel. He had those skills. It was the placement of the fuel selector and low altitude that made it fatal. Remove either of those factors and he would have survived. The fuel selector placement caused ergonomic inputs that caused the Long E-Z to depart controlled flight. Had it been on the floor, adverse right rudder inputs would not have happened. He simply would have ditched. Even the inputs would have been survivable with sufficient altitude as he could have recovered and safely ditched. But the lack of altitude gave him no chance to recover. It was a hard loss for the world but he went out doing what he loved to do. And, on a positive note, his untimely passing actually brought many people together that he never knew about. Because John died that day in 1997 I found my wife while playing music in Aspen and so many of my closet friends. His legacy in my life is still very much alive.

[@theaharrah1917]

Nice comment Ed

[@J-ZIM]

that's great Ed. I loved his music. Glad u met your wife

[@EasyLube]

Wow, well and respectfully told! I learned tons from this. I still, after all these years get that lump in my throat and watery eyes. Always deeply appreciated John Denver for his gentle quirkiness and beautiful, soul touching, and spiritual music. A very sad and tragic loss of an American icon.

[@brichall]

I had the pleaure of meeting John Denver when I was in Middle School. It was at a neighbor's party. He was a really nice guy. He told me what inspired him to compose "Leaving on a Jet Plane." Of course I was shocked and saddened by his passing. The video gives an excellent account of the difficulties in flying the plane that he flew. RIP John.

[@fk4515]

John Denver's father was an accomplished Air Force pilot flying among other things the B-58. There was a clip on KZbin that was basically a commercial for the B-58. If I remember it was narrated by Jimmy Stewart, It show a B-58 landing after achieving some record and the pilot's family is waiting for him at the hanger as he pulls up, a young John Denver runs u to his father, the pilot.

[@nightflight1454]

My aunt worked at Gates Lear Jet in wichita ks back in the 70s in flight operations She got to know Dutch very well when he was a test pilot there .I remember when John bought that muti colored Lear Jet 25 back in I think 75 or 76 .John was a very proficient pilot .And my aunt ,who drank coffee every morning with Dutch said he was a super nice guy .

[@ConsolidatedPBY]

Have visited his father’s gravesite at Ft Logan National Cemetery in Denver.

[@donnysarian]

It's called B-58, Champion of Champions. A great Air Force film that the public got to see. I saw it in grade school in the early 60's.

[@john.rc.3274]

John Denver was an amazing talent. This video really explains exactly what happened. Back in 1997 I was under the misperception that he had just run out of fuel. Clearly it was more complicated than that. Thanks for your research and explanation.

[@user-my8zo8uh3n]

YES GREAT MUSICIAN SHIT PILOT

[@connectthedots5678]

There was also the possibility of it being a suicide because of the song he wrote about flying as if he foreshadowed his coming death/ suicide. Maybe he sabotaged his plane

[@rpolleysr]

Excellent review! So sad. I personally wouldn’t fly that plane with the fuel tank selector as it was. Likely the cause of John’s early demise. He lives on thru his music. Such an amazing and unique artist missed by many.

[@lindalangrill4231]

In 1969, my new husband and I went to hear a folk singer perform in the cafeteria at Alma College, Alma, MI. It was John Denver, and we liked him and his music so much we came back to hear him again the next day. Many LPs later, we were still enjoying his music. I remember the day of the crash. So much talent, too little time.

[@dianebays5484]

I saw him in concert in the early 70s. He was awesome. My sister lives in Monterey and told me about watching the recovery of the plane and parts out of the bay. Such a sad day for us all. Rest in peace, John Denver. You'll never be forgotten.

[@GeminiSeven43]

Great video and lots of good information. I cannot imagine anyone flying an unfamiliar aircraft with not only less than adequate fuel levels but an unbalanced fuel tanks in the wings. I am not a pilot but have studying flying all my life and know that weights and balances are critical even when you are familiar with an aircraft. Thankfully he was out to sea when it happened and no other lives were lost. Rest in peace John Denver.

[@rcobuch]

Thankful plane didn't go down over housing. Should the plane have been certified to fly with fuel mod? Loved his music.

[@talulahwest710]

I never believed it was an airplane problem. He was an expert seasoned pilot. Questions.

[@conradmaher4784]

Thank you for concise reporting on John Denver from childhood to his fatal plane crash. The details about his life as a boy and young man were sad and helped to give new meaning to me for his songs. The plane crash details were quite different from what I had heard from friends who were piolets and kept their planes at the Santa Barbara airport. Nine years older than John and always a fan of his music. Just listened to his: Leaving on a Jet Plane and was reminded of all the times I felt this loneliness as I departed on a jet plane and had to leave wife, children, family and friends as my career in the oil industry led to living and working in many countries and many more jobs away from home for weeks to more than a year.

[@margaretsprague6884]

When I was in high school around 1973 my art teacher put John Denver’s music on every day while we worked on art projects. I loved his music and still do.

[@jeanoappleseed1475]

This was fascinating and clarified what happened to Denver that day. As a pilot myself, it's always interesting to see a plane disaster deconstructed and explained. But as someone who did a crosscountry flight from Oakland CA to Monterey airport only the day before John Denver's crash, this is a crash that always stayed with me, as did a lot of crashes that seemed "close to home" in my life and eventually made me reconsider my love of flying my own airplane, though in many ways I wish I'd never stopped.

[@jamesbird8420]

He has always been an inspiration to me. His music always picked me up and made me feel better. My good friend had the good fortune to serve him at a restaurant in Sydney Australia she never realized how lucky at the time to have met such a great soul. R.I.P. John

[@eclipsedan555]

Hi All-- I had one of the first Long Ez aircraft to fly (number 4-- original, Mike M's and a dentist in Florida that was their kit beta tester), I flew mine to Oshkosh and spoke at Rutan's forum in 1981. I am a retired pilot for Delta and soon after the crash, I was on a few hour layover in New York at the airport. i went into the Delta operations and asked how do I talk with an FAA investigator-- the ops guy picked up the phone and put me through to Los Angeles and three minutes later, I spoke with the gentleman doing the investigation. We talked for about 40 minutes, I suggested some things and he told me some things. Your report has some nice views on the crash but the things that I pointed out to him might add some to your discussion. He told me that when they collected the wreckage, I think I remember him saying the one, that he was on, was empty and the other very little fuel and it is believed that he took off on the tank with less fuel. He also told me that the airplane came with a pair of pliers to reach the valve handle and what is missed here is that the fuel "gauges" are clear areas in the tank fiberglass layups and John was given a small mirror to see the "gauges" on the side walks of the back seat. I suggested that with John's very thick glasses and a mirror to look over his shoulders and see if there was fuel showing in the back seat walls is obviously very difficult, followed by finding the pliers and doing the contortions you pointed out------ do not forget, airplanes are trimmed to speed of the plane-- an engine failure with the plane on autopilot or not, plus when you loose an engine over water, the FIRST thing you do is turn back-- I assume if the autopilot were on it can only hold pitch or altitude for a little time until the plane's trim can not be tolerated with the speed falling off and the autopilot gives up and add a possible turn and too much rudder-- -- It is a shame and I loved his music but we all know, every part of every flight has to be professional-- dan

[@judydenver5362]

Thank you, Dan. We still don't have all the answers, even to this day, and probably never will, now. I appreciate hearing from an experienced pilot, and thank you for selflessly helping. John was wearing contact lenses during that time of his life, and with his contact lenses on, for nearsightedness, he needed magnifiers to see things up close, like when he signed autographs, he wore magnifiers, so i know that that would have been a challenge, in the plane, with alot going on, and his fear and adrenaline going on. (..personal friend of John's). Thank you.

[@3rdFloorblog]

@@judydenver5362 regardless if we ever get a denifitive answer as to why, it only helps to understand the circumstances but does nothing to relieve the emptiness John has left for his family, friends, neighbors and his legions of fans. We shall always remember his "oh shucks" good ol'boy grins, and his passion for his music. Unfortunately, I am but only a fan of John Denver, but I too will miss John.

[@chouseification]

@@judydenver5362 we have enough answers to call out the overview and series of events leading to the crash in reasonable detail. This particular Long EZ had been owned originally by a husband/wife couple, and the fuel valve was in the back seat since that was her part of the workload. This fuel valve was normally on the front floor where the pilot could casually reach it. Since the valve was in the back seat, this plane was not safe to fly solo and should have not been allowed to take off without somebody in the back seat. He could have easily had a mechanic move it to the front seat for him, but then he would have to wait. JD also took off with low fuel level, despite being advised by ground crew to add some more before takeoff. At some point in flight he either ran out in the tank he was using or was trying to switch tanks - to do so, he had to unbuckle his safety belt and twist himself nearly sideways in the tiny cockpit; then reach over the seat and try to get the pliers on the lever... then turn it (it was apparently a bit sticky) and the whole time - keep the plane level or else. Well, he failed on the "or else" part and went in. Maybe he ran out of fuel while sitting sideways and it stalled too quickly for him to recover, or he just went into a spin by kicking the rudder pedals or stick while shifting to the sideways pose... or maybe it even just started rolling as he was turning the valve and didn't notice until too late. All scenarios come down to "him sitting sideways fiddling with the fuel valve" as the cause, however it actually played out.

[@robertsmith2956]

Do you lose the ability to repair a kit plane if you bought it already built? That is one of the big reasons for them, so you aren't raped by aircraft certified mechanics.

[@massqueradethemovie7616]

Thanks Dan. Your comments put the big picture in perspective. Sadly, it seems, the fuel switch relocation may have been the final straw in dooming this aircraft to never being able to make a high-speed, low flight, fuel change. At 150kts the plane would have been moving at 225 Feet per second, something like TWO+ seconds to the water. It's obvious there was not enough time to grab a new fuel tank even with a 'nearly instant' fuel transfer switch. The flight was doomed to go down at the end of the fuel in the first tank unless it was flying slow AND straight and level, AND could actually be landed without power. Of course all these thoughts needed to be considered by inspection before ever letting the airplane off the ground. Just my opinion, but the assessment of liability should go to the airplane, not the pilot. Having a BLIND, three position switchable fuel source, especially when one of the selections is 'NO FUEL' is just a bit insane. Still, if John would have taken a passenger, he would have had to take that responsibility. Having fuel gauges that were almost unreadable during normal flight is the rest of the problem that should have been addressed before the plane left the ground. Given the amount of time spent discussing the nature of the fuel switch difficulties should have been a huge RED FLAG for the pilot. Sorry John, We all felt the sadness and hate that your confidence probably led you into this deadly trap. *and yes everyone, I always told my kids to not leave town to come home without at least a 1/4 tank of gas showing on the gauge.* John's 1/4 tank of fuel was not enough under almost any circumstance and certainly not on the day of his death if there was not enough time to switch to the other tank. :( Pliers??? COME ON! )

[@ronaldweed6103]

We must remember this type of aircraft had many accidents. I lived near the Arlington Airport just north of Marysville Washington my home at that time. I also had a friend who built one at his home,but sadly, I lost track of him & I found he lost his life in that aircraft. That aircraft of my friend was designed differently than John Denver's plane. There were different designs to choose from. Rest in peace, man of the MUSIC

[@KenPereira-h4m]

Very Informative. My wife and I are lifelong John Denver fans. Whether or not he should have been flying is a moot point. That he brought such joy and wonder into the lives of so many people is not a moot point. We had the honor of seeing him at a concert that same year in Clearwater Florida at the Ruth Eckerd Hall. At the end of what we deemed a perfect concert, John came to the edge of the stage and apologized for his not being up to par as he had a slight cold. He asked that we come back to hear him when he returned, and he promised he would sing better for us. What a terrible loss of such a soul. As he always did, he finished flying. Rest in God's arms John. You are missed.

[@keithwalter1241]

Thanks Christy for the thorough report. I was super saddened when this accident occurred, as I was a huge fan of John Denver, and also an SEL private pilot. It is very sad to learn that the accident would have been completely avoidable if he would have fueled the plane. He sounded like a very accomplished pilot, but it probably would have been best if he had tried the fuel selection procedure while on the ground and stationary. Of course, it is easy for us to second guess because we see how the holes in the swiss cheese accident model line up. I saw many Long EZ's up at Oshkosh, and have always loved Burt Ratan designs. RIP John. I hope you knew the Lord and are flying in heaven.

[@brianwarner4340]

I SURE HOPE JOHN DENVER KNEW OUR RISEN LORD JESUS CHRIST ALSO. POOR GUY.

[@sail4free1]

@@brianwarner4340 Ugh. Religious whack jobs always oozing out of the woodwork. :(

[@tommurphy4307]

because of the way the plane was being used- the fuel should have either been exchanged or touch-tested, as well.

[@jamesryan9046]

Thanks for this video, love John Denver's music and also love flying. This answered many ?s I've had for years about what happened. Respecting preflight, and medical requirements is common sense. It's a shame he forgot that and we lost a good man as a result. Very well done video. Hope this helps other aviators. "Rocky Mountain" HIGH!!!

[@LindaDepman]

So well done! Thank you for researching and for respectfully presenting what could have happened.

[@johnmeyers3954]

As a student at a small MIchigan college in 1968-69 I was in a small gathering of maybe 12 other students listening to John. This was just before he "made it big". I loved his music from the start. I had all his albums. When I heard of this tragedy I was very very sad. I did not know of his other passion for flying before hearing of this accident. Thank you for this documentary as I have wondered what really happened. John was the best.

[@jimburig7064]

The loss of John Denver is saddening. He was a good soul.

[@alicat1328]

He was

[@followyourdreamqueen]

I remember that Sunday. It was my husband's birthday and we were taking a walk along the beach in Sea Cliff where we lived. We were distracted by an unusual looking airplane flying around and we recognized it as an experimental. All the sudden it disappeared into the water we watched it go down. We didn't know then who it was. We had seen him in concert several times. Very sad.

[@MarkShinnick]

Was he in a right turn ?

[@joeb5578]

@@MarkShinnick Not sure but was decap. Depends on which rudder pedal he pushed.

[@MarkShinnick]

@@joeb5578 Yeah, he was fully-twisted to his left with his right hand reaching over left shoulder, fully-pushing the right rudder...completely distracted from flying the airplane.

[@richardalexander5758]

Flight training makes it clear that it's a combination of small issues that typically leads to crashes. True in other areas of life as well. Thank you for an excellent presentation.

[@roweng.4245]

He came into a high-end antique shop where I was working in the mid-80s to pick out a present for some friends. I kept looking sideways at him, thinking, "who is that?. . . . Oh." So I helped with his selection, wrapped it up for him, and just as he was leaving, I said, "by the way --" He looked back over his shoulder. I said, "I like the singin'." Got the most delightful grin.

[@priscillaross-fox9407]

I can see that grin in my mind's eye!

[@daveshepard9154]

Thank you and very well done. I've been a pilot for more than 40 years, and flying is a wonderful way of life, avocation, vocation. It trains the mind and expands horizons like nothing else. And it does not tolerate foolishness in any variety. RIP, John.

[@mundanestuff]

I find it fascinating that so many people are moved so deeply by his loss even today. Personally, I saw John perform in Canandaigua, NY once in the mid-90s as a 20something and remember the concert fondly, eagerly attending with as much gusto as any kid can muster. There are many brain cells dedicated to remembering the melodies and lyrics he wrote and sang, recalling them fills me with warmth and appreciation for the effort he must have gone through to produce such amazing music. When the report came out that he had passed away, I was devastated and discovered the wider community of all ages who mourned his loss along side me. I appreciate the sincerity with which you handled this video, and may he rest in peace.

[@Ddrhl]

at the Finger Lakes Performing Art Center? Loved going there!

[@mundanestuff]

@@Ddrhl yup. Good venue. I've seen many a show there. As a young guy, watching Peter, Paul and Mary there, and watching all the old folks ball their eyes out with joy over something like "Puff the Magic Dragon" was educational, taught me a lot about adulting and how it's OK to show emotion and still be manly. Loved that concert too.

[@TitanicHorseRacingLover]

Thank you for a professionally and well-researched video. I am more of a casual fan of Mr. Denver, but I was sad he passed away. I also admired how you handled the details, especially the personal details with class and dignity.

[@MichaelCreamerFAVNET]

Great research and delivery of the facts. Thank you for your informative sensitive reporting of the facts and his mistakes. This should make all pilots more aware and learn from this tragedy. I'm a huge JD fan and will miss his voice both musically and ecologically for the many things he loved and cherished in nature. Thanks to all who commented especially the mechanic and his friends.

[@steveehart1395]

I can't remember ever commenting on a KZbin video till now--this was so well done I wanted you to know that I think you just hit the ball out of the park with your informative video about the death of someone I cared about and never heard the details of the crash. Again, well done and thank you for the hours of research you put into this!

[@thedoorider]

Thank you for sharing this. It answers the misconceptions I had of this accident. RIP John.

[@scottnj2503]

I lived in Denver in the 70's. It was in vogue at the time and place to outwardly not admit you liked his music. But most people did and still do. RIP John. We love you.

[@Dr.Gunsmith]

He achieved and did more than anyone of those bullying him when a young man.

[@incitingariot4079]

So many people of achievement will tell of such treatment that they endured as they were growing up. It takes many blows with a hammer to produce a flawless sword!

[@mattskustomkreations]

Janis Joplin also received a warm Texas welcome. She even was voted “Ugliest Man” at her school. She was way too far out for her conservative townsfolk. When she sings, her pain is real.

[@spiralsun1]

As a pilot, I always wondered what happened. Thanks. ❤

[@tommurphy4307]

i was a propeller airman with zero flying hours when it happened. when i started test-flying clients planes- the pilots/owners were vigilant in checking out the aircraft before we went up- and i attribute this was, in part, due to the publicity from this incident. at least one good thing that resulted from this.

[@ledenhimeganidleshitz144]

The story from the accident investigators was BS. The EZ's are incapable of a dive by design. The reports of the loud nose and dive indicate only one thing. He hit a seabird breaking the Canard. The loose did not come from the engine. Even with catastrophic failyer of the engine the EZ's glide quite well. If you are a pilot you will understand this. The EZ are control limited. The canard is a stall fuse. In full stall of the Canard there is a mild longitudinal bobbing. This is true even with cross controle full Rudder. There is only one thing that will cause a dive; catastrophic failyer of the Canard. The load pop was not the engine. It was the Canard striking a seabird. Gulls along the shore line...what a shock! Poor Gull! The Ocean washed away the fresh Gull blood. It is highly likely the investigators did not know of the EZ's flight characters and why a dive in an intact aircraft is impossible. Rutan was a clever designer. I am surprised the investigators did not contact him or speak to other builders before issuing their report. Don't believe me? Get a ride in an EZ and try any stall accelerated, departure, aproach or cross controlled. The cross controlled feels weird but no real loss of control. Defiantly no dive as an EZ can't be forced into a dive ... CONTROL LIMITED!

[@jlc20thmaine6]

Well done! When John Denver died, My father and I had already built two VariEzE's. One had the Continental 0-200, the other had the Lycoming 0-235. Thanks Chris Hadland for your input ! Awesome.

[@lucymckernan3210]

Thanks for explaining this. I remember being in Aspen in Oct. 1998, the following year, and finding people celebrating John's life. It's a loss that still haunts me.

[@alaskanoverwatch745]

Christy, really love the thoroughness and dignity you brought to this tragedy, you have gained a subscription. I have never owned an aircraft but I have flown many in gaining my almost 2k hours. One thing I remember from all these rentals was the hour requirements, both total time and in the aircraft I want to rent. I remember specifically having to amass 10 hours with an instructor just to rent a Mooney. This was on top of a few hundred HP hours. An owner has no such requirement, sadly this is the result. I have a still love his music, RIP John.

[@tommurphy4307]

the mooney has a lot more going on than a long EZ- its like apples and oranges. a client showed me his planes controls, giving me a quick in-service, and we were off to a few touch n go 'rounds while he tutored. after that he did a few and later thanked me for installing his prop. i'm not a pilot but i've tested in a lot of planes, and that thing was a piece of cake.

[@rbarnes791]

I just happened across this KZbin video and was very impressed with your abilities to tell this story the way you do. I had no idea about any of John Denver’s life, only hearing his music on the radio since the 70’s and on oldies stations today. I have more of an appreciation for JD now after listening to this and now sadder that his life ended that way. Thank you for doing this. I have subscribed for more to learn ….and I like you. Lol.

[@jimetheridge2677]

This is the best deep dive into John Denver's crash ever made. Thorough, detailed, well-researched and articulate. Thank you very much. A dedicated John Denver fan

[@Olson2BW]

"If only." Fateful words. I wish I had gotten to see him in concert. He is missed.

[@justflylow]

Great story Christy! I am a fan of John Denver’s music and I liked that he was a pilot also. I did not know the details about his crash or the extent of his flying. I was saddened to hear when he crashed and I think it is great to tell the story and reveal why it happened. Even though he had a history of being impaired it was his unsafe attitude that caught up to him. When you live on the edge you are more likely to fall off. I think this story goes to show how the safety chain of events works. A number of things could have prevented this crash. Fueling up, moving the fuel selector, and not flying so low. Other factors certainly contribute to the crash like low time in model, and minimal instruction in the aircraft. I think the clearest principle to take from this is to not take short cuts and follow the rules.

[@tommurphy4307]

well said

[@MyClutteredGarage]

To this day, I'm still sad about this crash. Thank you for this great discussion. Well done. -Ed

[@wesalexander2693]

Very nice video. We have been John Denver fans for many years and were saddened to learn that he passed away when first hearing of it back in October of 1997. We had been to several John Denver concerts. He was the consummate performer, always gracious, always at the top of his profession. He is now and will continue to be missed.

[@youngbess1]

I loved John for many years. He died on my birthday. It broke my heart when the news broke in Australia. I light a candle for him every year. I saw him in concert in Brisbane, I still have the concert ticket. Best concert ever.

[@JustaPilot1]

After the NTSB report came out a friend with a LongEZ took it to 3000 feet and replicated the motions in John's plane to switch tanks. When he turned around he was pointed at the ground. The motion did move the right foot on the right rudder pedal causing it to bank right and enter a nose-down attitude.

[@TakingOff]

Yup

[@SuperRealityKid]

We just loved Johns exuberant character, love of life and wonderful voice. He is sadly missed. Aviation mistakes are not so forgiving as land based errors so the best we can hope for is to take a lesson that may save the lives of others. RIP John ♥

[@yuglesstube]

His father was quite a serious airman. Set a world speed record in '61 in the B58 Hustler.

[@bryanst.martin7134]

That was my favorite military plane. Favorite civilian plane was the Q2. Loved Rutan's designs. The A10 challenger was nice.

[@duncanidaho2097]

I visited Dick Rutan’s hangar out in Mojave where he put on display his 76 Voyager after flying around the world without refueling. Amazing looking craft. You mentioned his father piloting the B58 Hustler on the record setting flight. Gen. Jimmy Stewart narrated a video on it. You can find it on Yt.

[@yuglesstube]

Yes Duncan. I saw that. There's also another documentary out there with interesting stuff in it. Somewhere on KZbin I'm sure! Cheers

[@jimyoung648]

@@yuglesstube An Airman (Chris Zehr, IIRC) that worked for me at the Space Systems Command and Control School at Lowery AFB was on the Honor Guard detail for John Denver's father's funeral (passed at age 61), and got to talk to him about his dad and his influence on him. I didn't remember all the details such as his Test Pilot background and flying the B-58, but did remember that he was more than just a typical Pilot. I think I remember Chris saying he had been a Test Pilot, but don't think he mentioned the B-58, I suspect some came from the description of his life during the funeral service, and somewhat less details but more impactful to Henry junior (John Denver), from John himself. Chris' description of the family and John impressed me, and inspired Chris to find an even better path after a painful divorce. It led me to researching a bit on the fate of the Volga Deutsch ancestry John descended from. Some came to America and Canada, but the ones that went to settle along the Volga river met a terrible fate in WWII as they were persecuted and 70% lost as they were abused by both Germans and Russians during the war.

[@yuglesstube]

@@jimyoung648 Very interesting. No place.like KZbin is there...Thanks.

[@MoonlightNothing]

Thank you for explaining this tragic accident. RIP 💗

[@sunrise1830]

Very nice short documentary! John was a wonderful loving person who shared his voice with all of us! He truly believed in the human spirit and was an inspiration for all humanity to share love around the world! Thank you John for inspiring me to be a better person every day! Flying over the beauty of the Monterey Peninsula and the Pacific Ocean at sunset.... it doesn't get much better than that! Peace, my friend. I would also like to clarify that John's first DUI was around the time his divorce from Cassie was finalized. And the second around the same time the following year. So please understand that he is human! We miss you John!❤

[@davidflint12]

Huge fan of John. He helped me with his music through the 70s. Saw him live many times. Will always treasure his words and music. With that said: I was getting ready early that following Monday when I heard about his death. I was depressed for quite awhile. My first vinyl was John Denver. He inspired me to learn guitar and my first song was “lady’. I will forever miss this man. Rip JD

[@BoleDaPole]

That's awesome, you're lucky to have seen him play so many times

[@davidflint12]

@@BoleDaPole some of my best memories. His music got me through some hard times in life.

[@saito125]

I still hurt from the news of his death. I played his music at bars and different gigs at the time, plus we shared the love of flying. RIP JD...

[@kennithchapman9689]

At the time of this accident I was under the impression and remember the news saying that he had been drinking wine and was intoxicated at the time of the crash. It's very good to hear that he wasn't and sober at the time. My parents listen to his music and I kinda liked it myself and went to a few shows with them as a kid. The kindest people always die young. It's a shame he didn't have a longer life. Rest in peace John.

[@valmikabeneteau7229]

Thank you Christy! This was so well done and filled in a few blanks from what I knew. I'm so glad you got this out there. Which of us hasn't been guilty of some of these transgressions? Especial the longer you fly. Complacency can kill you.

[@jrclarkbass]

It's incredible how this thread has turned into a who's who of folks that were present that day. You have treated John and his story with dignity and respect and in so doing, his family, friends, and fans as well. If all of these lessons learned saves the life of even one pilot, it is way more than worth it.

[@storytimewithunclekumaran5004]

I was thinking the same thing.. quite amazing really.. finally 1 use of technology for something good.

[@debcorbett7146]

My significant other's family entertained John Denver on several different occasions. In fact, my SO's grandpa flew a widgeon that John would regularly hire with Red at the helm. Ray would reminisce about meeting John Denver and how easy he was to approach. You wouldn't expect that from most artists in the industry!

[@Michael.Chapman]

Such competent research and coverage of John's life and flight history. We remember you well, we relate to you and we learn--John Denver, RIP...

[@bushwackcreek]

Very informative and cleared up some things. Being interested in homebuilts, I did read an account by a fellow who bought an almost completed Long EZ. By the time the fellow got into the project he realized what a mistake he'd made. The constructor had miss-mixed the epoxy formula and several areas on the aircraft were soft and not near airworthy. It was almost only scrap worthy but he found other builders who helped correct the problems... not without a lot of effort and cost. Canard aircraft are inherently very stable and will pancake or parachute rather than stall or spin in. It would have had to have been inadvertent movement of the controls trying to reach the fuel selector that caused the crash. If only he'd topped off his tanks before flying...

[@NorthForkFisherman]

Or at the very least, had them filled to a balanced load to make it more stable around the CG, neh?

[@MarkShinnick]

He was distracted and entered a steepening turn fast at low level. Without the distraction he just could have ditched slow and straight.