The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced the crash of a small plane in North Carolina, which resulted in the death of Grammy-winning country singer Brett James, his 59-year-old wife Melody Carroll, and his stepdaughter Meryl Wilson, 28, in an accident that occurred on September 18.

According to the official report, the plane was a Cirrus SR22T, piloted by James on a flight from John C. Tune Airport in Nashville, Tennessee, to Macon County Airport in Franklin, North Carolina. As the aircraft approached for landing, James requested a "visual approach" and intended to perform a full 360-degree turn over the runway but lost control of the plane during the maneuver.

Sharp Spiral

Surveillance camera footage showed the plane flying at a low altitude over a school playground before entering a sharp spiral, rolling inverted, and crashing into the ground behind a row of trees. No emergency signals were sent by the pilot after the last contact, and the investigation found no engine malfunctions.

The plane had departed from Nashville at 12:41 PM and crashed just over two hours later in an open field near Franklin Airport, close to Ayutla Valley Elementary School. The wreckage was collected for further examination to determine the precise cause of the accident.

It is worth noting that Brett James had recently celebrated his stepdaughter Meryl’s 28th birthday with his wife, and he was known for co-writing Carrie Underwood’s famous song "Jesus, Take the Wheel". He leaves behind children from his previous marriage to Sandra Cornelius-Little.