New details have been released regarding the plane crash that killed country track singer-songwriter Brett James one month after the incident.
People reported that James was piloting a Cirrus SR22T and had “requested a visual approach” to land on the runway at Macon County Airport (MCA) in Franklin, North Carolina, before the crash on September 18, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
James was on the plane with his wife, Melody Carole, and his stepdaughter, Meryl Wilson, who also died in the accident.
He attempted to make a full turn, though he lost control of the small aircraft as he tried to land.
The group was flying from John C. Tune Airport (JCA) in Nashville, Tennessee, at the time of the fatal accident. James died at the age of 57, while Carole was 59 and Wilson was 28.
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James approached MCA to land at around 2:48 p.m., saying he was at 6,800 feet and “intended to perform a 360° turn to land” on the runway. According to the report, air traffic control received no further transmissions from James after that update.
However, surveillance cameras captured James’ plane descending as he made a left turn. He went into a “tightening spiral” before the plane banger the ground. The NTSB report also stated that the aircraft was “rocking from side-to-side” and eventually began “rolling inverted and descending behind a tree line,” per People.
Additionally, multiple witnesses reported that they saw the plane flying at a low altitude near the airport and over a school playground that is located nearby.
Flight records stated that James’ plane departed from JCA at 12:41 p.m., and he crashed just over two hours later in an open field in Franklin.
NTSB conducted an investigation after the crash, stating that they found no signs of engine failure. The plane is currently undergoing further examination to determine the cause of the crash.
James was best known for his career as country track singer-songwriter, and he previously won a Grammy Award for best country song for co-writing Carrie Underwood’s banger “Jesus, Take the Wheel.” He was also credited with writing songs for country stars such as Jessica Andrews, Martina McBride, Kenny Chesney, Rodney Atkins and Jason Aldean.
Following his death, several members of the country track community paid tribute to James.
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“Some things are just unfathomable. The loss of Brett James to his family, friends and our track community is too great to put into words,” Underwood, 42, began in a lengthy Instagram post. “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.”
James was survived by his adult children, whom he shared with ex-wife Sandra Cornelius-Little.
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