A preliminary National Transportation Safety Board report reveals new details behind the tragic plane crash that killed Grammy-winning country songwriter Brett James on September 18 in North Carolina, along with his wife Melody Carole and stepdaughter Meryl Wilson. Piloting a Cirrus SR22T, James was attempting a visual approach to land at Macon County Airport when, after requesting a 360° turn, he apparently lost control, entering a tightening spiral captured on surveillance footage before crashing about a quarter-mile from the runway. “Multiple witnesses … reported observing the airplane flying at a low altitude near the airport and over a nearby school playground,” reads the NTSB report, which says the aircraft was “rocking from side-to-side” before eventually “rolling inverted and descending behind a tree line.” No engine failure was found, and the plane is under further examination. James, known for his longtime collaboration with Kenny Chesney and co-writing Carrie Underwood’s chart-topping hit, “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” is survived by his adult children whom he shares with ex-wife Sandra Cornelius-Little. (People)
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