The country music world was rocked late September by the tragic death of iconic songwriter Brett James. The musician died after his single-engine plane crashed in North Carolina.
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Sadly, everyone on board died. That included James as well as his wife and step-daughter. Now, new details have surfaced on what caused the plane to go into a “tightening spiral” before it crashed.
James had been at the helm of the private Cirrus SR22T plane. He had been approaching Macon County Airport when he acon County Airport in Franklin on Sept. 18 with his wife and stepdaughter when he “requested a visual approach to runway 7 from air traffic control.”
“Shortly after, the pilot transmitted (while still tuned to the controller’s radio frequency) that he was at 6,800 feet and intended to perform a 360 degree turn to land on runway 7,” the report said.
Brett James Mourned
“Multiple witnesses near the accident site reported observing the airplane flying at a low altitude near the airport and over a nearby school playground. The airplane was described as rocking side-to-side, with its wingtips moving up and down before rolling inverted and descending behind the tree line.”
Ultimately, the plane crashed a half a mile from the runway. The resulting crash killed James and his family.
The songwriter leaves behind a legacy in country music. Arguably one of his most popular tracks was “Jesus Take The Wheel,” sang by Carrie Underwood. Following his passing, Underwood took to social media to mourn him.
She wrote, “He was a good guy. I remember writing with him on a song that he basically wrote 75% of and had ready when he walked in the room. We filled in the blanks and added a little melody and I told him after that I didn’t feel right splitting the credit evenly when he did most of the work. He wouldn’t have it — He insisted that everything be equal. He was just that kind of guy….”
She continued, “Brett’s passing is leaving a hole in all of us that I fear won’t ever go away. It will forever be a reminder that this life is but a moment…we have to make the most of each day we’re given here on earth. Each day is a gift.”