re: Jim Croce- What a talent

quote:

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Amazing how sketchy air travel was for these guys in the 70's. LynArd Skynard, the damned engine was practically on fire and it flaming up was a known thing, yet they got in it.

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The Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crashed because the pilots miscalculated the fuel burn due to the engines having higher than normal fuel consumption and they simply ran the fuel tanks dry.

NTSB Identification: DCA78AA001
14 CFR Part 135 Nonscheduled operation of L & J COMPANY
Aircraft: CONVAIR 240, registration: N55VM
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FILE DATE LOCATION AIRCRAFT DATA INJURIES FLIGHT PILOT DATA F S M/N PURPOSE----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------3-3896 77/10/20 GILLSBURG,MS CONVAIR 240 CR- 2 0 0 COMMERCIAL AIRLINE TRANSPORT, AGE TIME - 1852 N55VM PX- 4 19 1 AIR TAXI-PASSG 34, 6802 TOTAL HOURS, 68 DAMAGE-DESTROYED OT- 0 0 0 IN TYPE, INSTRUMENT RATED. DEPARTURE POINT INTENDED DESTINATION GREENVILLE,SC BATON ROUGE,LA TYPE OF ACCIDENT PHASE OF OPERATION ENGINE FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION IN FLIGHT: NORMAL CRUISE COLLIDED WITH: TREES LANDING: FINAL APPROACH PROBABLE CAUSE(S) PILOT IN COMMAND - MISMANAGEMENT OF FUEL MISCELLANEOUS ACTS,CONDITIONS - INATTENTIVE TO FUEL SUPPLY MISCELLANEOUS ACTS,CONDITIONS - FUEL EXHAUSTION FACTOR(S) PILOT IN COMMAND - INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PREPARATION AND/OR PLANNING POWERPLANT - MISCELLANEOUS: OTHER COMPLETE POWER LOSS - COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE/FLAMEOUT-2 ENGINES EMERGENCY CIRCUMSTANCES - FORCED LANDING OFF AIRPORT ON LAND REMARKS- R ENG MALFUNCTION OF UNDETERMINED NATURE RESULTED IN HIGHER THAN NORMAL FUEL CONSUMPTION.