Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash Site - 37 Years Later - A Beautiful, Visual Drive Around The Crash Site

I realize that for most people who come across this video, it may be pretty boring. But for me; a musician who was born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida (the home of Lynyrd Skynyrd), this was one place that I HAD to go see as a fan. I have visited all of the sites where Skynyrd got their start (the hell house location, clubs, homes, parks, other rehearsal locations, grave sites, etc), but I always wanted to make a journey to the actual crash site.

This is a video of me driving around the chicken farm near Gillsburg, Mississippi that was owned by Johnny Mote back on 20 October 1977; when the Convair CV-240 that was carrying Lynyrd Skynyrd and crew crashed and took the lives of Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines, Cassie Gaines, assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, pilot Walter McCreary and co-pilot William Gray; and injured numerous other band members and crew.

The farm is now called Hung Yen Farms, and the Asian family that owns it didn't really appreciate me stopping by. They don't particularly care about the amazing history of the farm that they now own and won't let anyone else in to see the crash site. I even offered him (Mr. Nguyen) the hundred bucks that I had, but he refused. If they would only allow fans to build a memorial on that spot, they would surely benefit greatly from it, but that's for another day.

This video shows me driving by the farm several times, and around the perimeter of the Mississippi, swampy forest; taking Easley Road, and P P Wilson Road. I had to find my own access points into the crash site and hoped like hell that I wouldn't get shot! After filming, I took a few photos of the surrounding area, and of some of the trees where fans had carved messages for Lynyrd Skynyrd years ago. There is surprisingly still some small elements of debris left over from the crash (which I collected some pieces) and also took some tree bark with me.

It was so sad to see that open field just beyond the trees that they crashed in to. If they could have kept enough altitude for another 200 yards or so, then history would have been changed.

I wanted to take some film of the actual crash site as well. My camera battery was still at 75% when I got there. It was a beautiful, calm, sunny day (as you can see), and once at the site -- an eerie breeze started blowing and my camera battery died instantly. I took out my back-up battery, and it was drained too! As silly as it may sound to some, the spirit of Lynyrd Skynyrd (Ronnie, Steve, Cassie, Dean) can still be felt at that spot. It was just such an amazing experience to be there.

I hope with this video, you can feel like you have been there too. I hope to go back soon and convince the farm owners to allow me to try and film again. Either way, I hope you enjoy this footage of beautiful Gillsburg / Magnolia Mississippi and enjoy the great songs "Brickyard Road" by Johnny Van Zant, and "Tuesday's Gone".

Long live Lynyrd Skynyrd, and fly high Freebirds!!

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