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The Plane Crash At the peak of Lynyrd Skynyrd's career in 1977 their plane went down killing three band members and a personal assistant. Everyone had their seatbelt on but one person. It didn't make a difference because every seat but one was ripped from the floor.When the plane hit everyone was hurled forward into the front panels in a pile of broken bodies that smothered the people on the bottom. Ronnie and Steve Gaines lay at the |
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bottom of that pile. Unfortunately they both died. Dean Kilpatrick the bands personal assistant was killed instantly from head injuries. Allen Collins had a cervical spine injury and a bad cut over his righteye. His right arm was gashed so deeply he almost lost use of it. Gary Rossington had broken both of his arms,his right leg, and pelvis. Kevin Elson, the sound engineer, |  |
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suffered a collapsed lung and both of his legs, his right arm and his right ankle was broken. Cassie Gaines, Steve Gaines sister, was killed from head injuries. Leon Wilkeson suffered a chest wound and a badly broken left arm and leg, plus internal injuries that caused his heart to fail to twice until doctors revived it. Billy Powel was cut severely on his face and knee. Leslie Hawkins had a cervical spine injury and severe lacerations on her face. |  |
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Artimus Pyle suffered multiple contusions and abrasions. Paul Welch, road crew member, remained unconscious for more than four days after the plane crash. Both the pilots were killed instantly. Billy Powel almost lost his nose and pushed away a road crew member that needed help because he thought that it might fall of and land in the mud and might get lost. A man that |  |
| lives by Johnny Mote said he heard a loud scratching noise like a car skidding. Then he saw some survivors walking to him. He went inside grabbed his gun and fired it above there heads. He thought that they were escaping from prison. Then Artimus told him their plane crashed and it is bad. They went inside and called 911. They were all quickly rushed to a local hospital. | ||
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