I would love to hear the entire interview. I'm so happy for Gary that he made out and got married, and had a family. He has enjoyed those precious things in life. I have no doubt that he must suffer physical pain as well as emotional still. I love this man. I always have, but we've all grown up and gotten old. Of course, back then it was more of a crush on him. Today I have got so much respect for him.
So unfortunate! They were only 10 minutes away from the airport. . Also, only barely missed the opening for the emergency landing! RIP to all the ones that lost their lives, but Ronnie was Skynard. I think he was the best songwriter of all time, and his chemistry with Gary and Allen is unprecedented. The best material is always written during the rise, and I think we got most of the best. The rise was still going though and there undoubtably would have been more classic Skynard. The collaborations with various stars would have inevitably produced at least a few classics as well.
I love you Gary! I’ve seen you twice in concert, first in 1976 and then in 2006. You seem to have such a sweet and gentle soul. Hard to believe all those stories about the fights you were in. Keep on keeping on!! You made the world a better place.
It's hard for anyone to recount something as devastating as surviving a plane crash. There's so much information to take in just in a matter of minutes & seconds. Then, shock, pain, & seeing deceased comrades. OMG how Gary can even tell it is beyond me.
But later you saw he had problems with his health and also playing the Guitar the last time he was playing This guy had suffering the plane crash full of pain with a lot of pills for the pain he haid also the heart strokes he had. A true survivor and absolute my favorite Lynyrd Skynyrd member I will miss him Go Gary play together with you friends in heaven RIP GARY LOVE YOU
Such a loss, God bless Gary and all the survivors, I'm watching this in 2021....I was 14 when the accident happened, at that time my late brother Ricky was a huge Lynyrd Skynyrd fan and I would sneak into his room and go through his albums and there it was Skynyrd album, of course I immediately formed a crush on Gary, sitting there with his flare jeans, long hair, and his solid face good looks, and such a talent...I remain a fan to this day.🕊️🎸🙏
I can't imagine how terrifying it must be to be on a plane knowing you're going down and going to crash then surviving the crash and loosing people that meant so much to you. Kinda hard to wrap your head around....... I just can't imagine
Not just in the music scene but sadly also in the band, Gary was never given the proper credit. Everyone always focused on Allen and then eventually Steve. Dude is BADASS !
I've heard that every so often for many years. It does explain how the plane wound up with no fuel, turning it into a glider and why there was no fire upon impact. That aircraft was a POS which should have been scrapped for metal long before 1977. Why the leasing company ever acquired this junk heap in the first place is my question to them.
Gene says he was at front of plane talking to pilots. Artimus says he was at front talking to pilots. Gene seems to contradict everyone and he was knocked out cold...Artimus wasn't !
@@allencollins6031 So you think Gene didn't get shit kicked on impact like everyone else? Gimme a break. They all have different stories. They got bashed, broken, heads injured, maybe ko'd for a min or 2. Ask a boxer what happened after he got ko'd. Calling anyone who survived this horrible ordeal a liar is just disgusting. Gene obviously has a problem with anyone else who was Ronnie's (rip) "friend". Petty jealous bully is what he is. It shows in every interview how he cuts down band members.
I believe I remember Gene saying in an interview he told the pilots when they were going down if they didn't die he was gonna kill em! They did die but sounded like either way they weren't gonna make it!
When was this interview made? I've heard lots of stories about the crash, and even read the official report, and this is the very first time I heard anybody mention that 1) the plane had a fuel leak in one of the tanks. I've heard several other stories about why the plane crashed and why there was no gas in the tank at the point of impact. 2) I've heard that at least one (maybe both) engines had been running as much as 40% richer than it suppose to, causing the plane to run out of gas. 3) Artimus Pyle, who was also an experienced pilot, claimed that the fuel gauge in this type of plane had a history of malfunctions, and the pilots neglected to manually check the fuel with a dipstick prior to takeoff. This was a procedure they were expected to do since the gauge was considered unreliable. 4) Several band members have claimed to have seen a huge flame shoot out of the right engine, and this caused it to fail. The co-pilot then attempted to transfer the fuel from the failed engine to the good engine. An error was made and he dumped the fuel instead. 5) I've heard that both engines failed and that the pilots knew they had to crash land. They dumped the fuel so the plane wouldn't explode when it crashed. However, there has been no evidence or survivor's accounts that support this explanation. Prior to the crash, the pilots thought that there was a problem with the right engine's ignition magneto, but they didn't think the problem was that serious. Thus, they continued to fly the plane. After the crash, the NTSB found no problems with the right engine's ignition magneto. They found that the fuel dump and cross-feed valves did not appear to have any leaks and all valves were in the closed position (at least when the plane crashed). Although the NTSB did claim that "an engine malfunction of an undetermined nature contributed to the plane crash", their final report claimed that "Crew inattention to the fuel supply" was ultimately responsible for the crash. Thus, explanation 3) (Artimus' explanation) seems to carry the most weight although explanation 2) (one or more engine's running rich) could have contributed to the situation. However, the pilots had been aware that the plane's engines had been running rich on prior trips, and this should have given them extra incentive to have manually checked the tanks prior to takeoff. In addition, they should have loaded the plane with extra fuel. Furthermore, they should have been keeping their eye on the gauge throughout the flight. This would have alerted them to any potential leaks. Ronnie's friend Gene Odom, who was head of security, claimed he begged the pilots to have a certified mechanic check and fix the plane prior to leaving Greenville, SC since they had an extra day between shows. He claims the pilots preferred to spend their off-day in Baton Rouge, LA. He also claims that it would have been cheaper for the plane's owners to dispatch a tech from their home office in nearby Texas had they landed in Baton Rouge.
Gene Odom, Ronnie's fishing buddy and one of his best friends growing up, tells a story that prior to devoting his life to Lynyrd Skynyrd, that Ronnie was the manager of an Auto Parts store owned by his brother-in-law. As a result of strong sales at the store, one of the parts companies awarded a free trip to the store manager. However, he claims Ronnie gave the tickets to his dad (who took Gene along with him). The reason being, he didn't want to go to Hawaii because he was scared of flying. You would have thought Ronnie would have been amongst the many who begged him to get another plane or let them travel in one of the tour buses. Perhaps, he got over his fear of flying. I've never had a fear of flying and still don't. However, if flames were shooting out the engine (and it had done this on the last 2 or 3 trips it made), I wouldn't have stepped on that plane until I was convinced it was fixed.
It’s amazing that the people on the plane aren’t really clear on what happened. No leak, no crossover switch, no dumping of the gas. It’s just a case of the pilots being too lazy and complacent and didn’t check the gas level before they took off. They just straight up just ran out of gas.
From what was being discussed on one DVD, apparently the one engine was giving them problems but it couldn't get fixed till the next stopover (bad decision, sad decision!). So if one engine isn't running well they "run it rich" which uses more gas thus they ran out and didn't make it far enough to clear the field and land on flat land. Terribly sad, heartbreaking...
@@joyfisher8855 Thats what the NTSB said too in their official report. You can find it online. Those damn pilots have no excuse for being negligent with their plane's gas and that right engine needing more.
How Bless we were to have a shot to.hear Gary Rossington determined guitar 🎸 hero stay with us for Somtime tht a t he was hear all the one whom.survived the short time they were here. Raise lift up our brothers a sisters. Ronnie' Steve Gary ..😅Billy Leon.Hughy Ed Jo Jo. Casey. GOD BLESS LYNYRD SKYNYRD NATION 😅,
@@Cincinnatus1869 Like Ronnie said...Don't mess with the needle or a spoon Or any trip to the moon It'll take you away Lord, they're gonna bury you boy Don't mess with the needle Now I know, I know, I know, I know, I know
I read in Rolling Stone magazine that Leon's after death experience, he said he remembers seeing Duane Allman and Ronnie Van Zant sitting on a log cloud.. Ronnie then looked at Leon and told him (it's not your time you have work to do)
@@donnievick3076 I agree! Also in situations like that things happen so fast you really don't have time to plan things out. They had to get seated, strapped in and God only knows what their thoughts were but it was clear they were going to crash. Heartbreaking and those who survived not only suffered horribly from their injuries in IMHO as a nurse also survivor guilt and PTSD. Bless their hearts....
Ronnie was asleep on the floor in between the table and couch. Gene woke him up and put him in the seat and buckled him in. Gene says he thinks ronnie unbuckled himself at the last second and he went flying when the plane crashed. He thought Gene was messing with him and got up to fight him and then they crashed
@@Judy1975uniI go with Gene for closest account of events. One reason is, is that he was sober. He didn't drink alcohol or use drugs, so yeah, I take his words on it all.
I would love to hear the other survivors stories! 16 people survived. Why do we never hear of the roadies and crew members and how they made it through this ordeal? Hope they are all ok.
Would love to hear this whole interview in one segment
I would love to hear the entire interview. I'm so happy for Gary that he made out and got married, and had a family. He has enjoyed those precious things in life. I have no doubt that he must suffer physical pain as well as emotional still. I love this man. I always have, but we've all grown up and gotten old. Of course, back then it was more of a crush on him. Today I have got so much respect for him.
Ditto!
RIP Gary
The music of Lynyrd Skynyrd will live forever. Listening to Gary tell it, is cool as shit.. Thank you sharing with us!!
Gary is one of the best guitar pickers in the world.
He's been there, done that, and then some!
So unfortunate! They were only 10 minutes away from the airport. . Also, only barely missed the opening for the emergency landing!
RIP to all the ones that lost their lives, but Ronnie was Skynard. I think he was the best songwriter of all time, and his chemistry with Gary and Allen is unprecedented.
The best material is always written during the rise, and I think we got most of the best. The rise was still going though and there undoubtably would have been more classic Skynard.
The collaborations with various stars would have inevitably produced at least a few classics as well.
I love you Gary! I’ve seen you twice in concert, first in 1976 and then in 2006. You seem to have such a sweet and gentle soul. Hard to believe all those stories about the fights you were in. Keep on keeping on!! You made the world a better place.
It's hard for anyone to recount something as devastating as surviving a plane crash. There's so much information to take in just in a matter of minutes & seconds. Then, shock, pain, & seeing deceased comrades. OMG how Gary can even tell it is beyond me.
Feel sad for him to constantly tell the story over and over to interviewers. RIP Gary. You were beyond awesome
its amazing gary can still play the guitar as well as he does!
But later you saw he had problems with his health and also playing the Guitar the last time he was playing
This guy had suffering the plane crash full of pain with a lot of pills for the pain he haid also the heart strokes he had.
A true survivor and absolute my favorite Lynyrd Skynyrd member
I will miss him Go Gary play together with you friends in heaven
RIP GARY LOVE YOU
Such a loss, God bless Gary and all the survivors, I'm watching this in 2021....I was 14 when the accident happened, at that time my late brother Ricky was a huge Lynyrd Skynyrd fan and I would sneak into his room and go through his albums and there it was Skynyrd album, of course I immediately formed a crush on Gary, sitting there with his flare jeans, long hair, and his solid face good looks, and such a talent...I remain a fan to this day.🕊️🎸🙏
I had a crush on him too. He was dreamy.
I can't imagine how terrifying it must be to be on a plane knowing you're going down and going to crash then surviving the crash and loosing people that meant so much to you. Kinda hard to wrap your head around....... I just can't imagine
Not just in the music scene but sadly also in the band, Gary was never given the proper credit. Everyone always focused on Allen and then eventually Steve. Dude is BADASS !
Totally agree. Gary was front and center every old Skynyrd video you see. RIP Gary
First I've ever heard that the gas tank was leaking gas.
The story changed daily
I've heard that every so often for many years. It does explain how the plane wound up with no fuel, turning it into a glider and why there was no fire upon impact. That aircraft was a POS which should have been scrapped for metal long before 1977. Why the leasing company ever acquired this junk heap in the first place is my question to them.
I wanna hear Kevin Elson's account of the crash...
Gene says he was at front of plane talking to pilots. Artimus says he was at front talking to pilots. Gene seems to contradict everyone and he was knocked out cold...Artimus wasn't !
Gene was stone cold sober
@@allencollins6031 So you think Gene didn't get shit kicked on impact like everyone else? Gimme a break. They all have different stories. They got bashed, broken, heads injured, maybe ko'd for a min or 2. Ask a boxer what happened after he got ko'd. Calling anyone who survived this horrible ordeal a liar is just disgusting. Gene obviously has a problem with anyone else who was Ronnie's (rip) "friend". Petty jealous bully is what he is. It shows in every interview how he cuts down band members.
@@allencollins6031 so?
When was this interview? Gary said he was brought back from coding wow
T Ball looks like late 90s
I believe I remember Gene saying in an interview he told the pilots when they were going down if they didn't die he was gonna kill em! They did die but sounded like either way they weren't gonna make it!
They are often my inspiration, when times are hard....
Every time I watch these videos I remember that day. the entire rock world was shocked for 4 or 5 months,
They are all around you. Love you brothers... God be with you all.
When was this interview made? I've heard lots of stories about the crash, and even read the official report, and this is the very first time I heard anybody mention that 1) the plane had a fuel leak in one of the tanks. I've heard several other stories about why the plane crashed and why there was no gas in the tank at the point of impact. 2) I've heard that at least one (maybe both) engines had been running as much as 40% richer than it suppose to, causing the plane to run out of gas. 3) Artimus Pyle, who was also an experienced pilot, claimed that the fuel gauge in this type of plane had a history of malfunctions, and the pilots neglected to manually check the fuel with a dipstick prior to takeoff. This was a procedure they were expected to do since the gauge was considered unreliable. 4) Several band members have claimed to have seen a huge flame shoot out of the right engine, and this caused it to fail. The co-pilot then attempted to transfer the fuel from the failed engine to the good engine. An error was made and he dumped the fuel instead. 5) I've heard that both engines failed and that the pilots knew they had to crash land. They dumped the fuel so the plane wouldn't explode when it crashed. However, there has been no evidence or survivor's accounts that support this explanation. Prior to the crash, the pilots thought that there was a problem with the right engine's ignition magneto, but they didn't think the problem was that serious. Thus, they continued to fly the plane. After the crash, the NTSB found no problems with the right engine's ignition magneto. They found that the fuel dump and cross-feed valves did not appear to have any leaks and all valves were in the closed position (at least when the plane crashed). Although the NTSB did claim that "an engine malfunction of an undetermined nature contributed to the plane crash", their final report claimed that "Crew inattention to the fuel supply" was ultimately responsible for the crash. Thus, explanation 3) (Artimus' explanation) seems to carry the most weight although explanation 2) (one or more engine's running rich) could have contributed to the situation. However, the pilots had been aware that the plane's engines had been running rich on prior trips, and this should have given them extra incentive to have manually checked the tanks prior to takeoff. In addition, they should have loaded the plane with extra fuel. Furthermore, they should have been keeping their eye on the gauge throughout the flight. This would have alerted them to any potential leaks. Ronnie's friend Gene Odom, who was head of security, claimed he begged the pilots to have a certified mechanic check and fix the plane prior to leaving Greenville, SC since they had an extra day between shows. He claims the pilots preferred to spend their off-day in Baton Rouge, LA. He also claims that it would have been cheaper for the plane's owners to dispatch a tech from their home office in nearby Texas had they landed in Baton Rouge.
Gene Odom, Ronnie's fishing buddy and one of his best friends growing up, tells a story that prior to devoting his life to Lynyrd Skynyrd, that Ronnie was the manager of an Auto Parts store owned by his brother-in-law. As a result of strong sales at the store, one of the parts companies awarded a free trip to the store manager. However, he claims Ronnie gave the tickets to his dad (who took Gene along with him). The reason being, he didn't want to go to Hawaii because he was scared of flying. You would have thought Ronnie would have been amongst the many who begged him to get another plane or let them travel in one of the tour buses. Perhaps, he got over his fear of flying.
I've never had a fear of flying and still don't. However, if flames were shooting out the engine (and it had done this on the last 2 or 3 trips it made), I wouldn't have stepped on that plane until I was convinced it was fixed.
I'm here ... That's all you can do .
I never knew why the plane crashed until now. Thx.
It’s amazing that the people on the plane aren’t really clear on what happened. No leak, no crossover switch, no dumping of the gas. It’s just a case of the pilots being too lazy and complacent and didn’t check the gas level before they took off. They just straight up just ran out of gas.
your brain tends to wipe out traumatic events....must be some kind of self-preservation system.
From what was being discussed on one DVD, apparently the one engine was giving them problems but it couldn't get fixed till the next stopover (bad decision, sad decision!). So if one engine isn't running well they "run it rich" which uses more gas thus they ran out and didn't make it far enough to clear the field and land on flat land. Terribly sad, heartbreaking...
@@joyfisher8855 Thats what the NTSB said too in their official report. You can find it online. Those damn pilots have no excuse for being negligent with their plane's gas and that right engine needing more.
How Bless we were to have a shot to.hear Gary Rossington determined guitar 🎸 hero stay with us for Somtime tht a t he was hear all the one whom.survived the short time they were here. Raise lift up our brothers a sisters. Ronnie' Steve Gary ..😅Billy Leon.Hughy Ed Jo Jo. Casey. GOD BLESS LYNYRD SKYNYRD NATION 😅,
YES!! MOST DEFINITELY!!
As close to Paul Kossoff as you can get.
Nobody said more with less notes than Kossoff. He's one of the guys I have studied the most. It truly sucks that he died so young
@@Cincinnatus1869 Like Ronnie said...Don't mess with the needle or a spoon
Or any trip to the moon
It'll take you away
Lord, they're gonna bury you boy
Don't mess with the needle
Now I know, I know, I know, I know, I know
Love to know Leon's stories
I read in Rolling Stone magazine that Leon's after death experience, he said he remembers seeing Duane Allman and Ronnie Van Zant sitting on a log cloud.. Ronnie then looked at Leon and told him (it's not your time you have work to do)
@@stevecook180 That's pretty heavy, and good to know that Duane and Ronnie are in the best place and I'm sure Leon is there too.
No idea why they brought Ronnie to the front of the plane etc. You're going down INTO the woods nose first... Get the roadies at the front.
Hazy Sativa......Ronnie was sleeping. Besides, only a real shit bag would do some fucked up shit like you suggested.
@@donnievick3076 I agree! Also in situations like that things happen so fast you really don't have time to plan things out. They had to get seated, strapped in and God only knows what their thoughts were but it was clear they were going to crash. Heartbreaking and those who survived not only suffered horribly from their injuries in IMHO as a nurse also survivor guilt and PTSD. Bless their hearts....
Ronnie was asleep on the floor in between the table and couch. Gene woke him up and put him in the seat and buckled him in. Gene says he thinks ronnie unbuckled himself at the last second and he went flying when the plane crashed. He thought Gene was messing with him and got up to fight him and then they crashed
@@Judy1975uniI go with Gene for closest account of events. One reason is, is that he was sober. He didn't drink alcohol or use drugs, so yeah, I take his words on it all.
@@allencollins6031 same
I would love to hear the other survivors stories! 16 people survived. Why do we never hear of the roadies and crew members and how they made it through this ordeal? Hope they are all ok.