Who survived the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash? Survivors remember final poker game in the sky

On October 20, 1977, Lynrd Skynyrd, the band from Jacksonville, Florida met with an irreversible tragedy. The plane carrying the band’s members for their concert in Louisiana crashed after its engine malfunctioned, as per Classic Rock.

Nineteen passengers and crew members of the ill-fated flight survived the crash. Among the band members who survived were Gary Rossington, Billy Powel, Allen Collins, Leon Wilkeson, and Artimus Pyle. However, the crash claimed the lives of band members Steve Gaines, Cassie Gaines and Ronnie Van Zant in addition to other crew members, according to History.

During the flight, a few passengers of the plane had been playing poker moments before they realized that there was something wrong with the aircraft, notes Poker News.

Mark Howard, one of the survivors of the crash who worked with the rock band in the capacity of the light technician, recently shared with Poker News that the game was a pass time which the band members engaged in while they were travelling for their music tour. Howard said,

“Yeah, it was a pastime on the plane…I mean, there was nothing else to do but play poker.”

According to the report by Poker News, the band members were not really good at poker. However, they were enthusiastic about the game, often putting in a lot of money for the card game during their flights. Gene Odom, who served as the security manager for the band, shared with Poker News,

“The band members, they didn't understand the aspects of poker and what hands were what hands, you know…They didn't know what hands you was trying to go for and what other hands the other person might have. But we just played poker. It wasn't professional, nothin' like that. But understanding the game? I doubt very seriously they really understood the aspects of playing poker.”

Survivors shared important details about the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash

Kevin Elson, who served as the soundman for Lynyrd Skynyrd, shared with Classic Rock that they had apprehensions about the aircraft a day before the actual tragedy took place. Elson said,

“We had problems on the plane before that last flight…We had a day off, then a show, then a day off flying. They flew a mechanic in from Dallas who was supposed to repair everything. Everyone was sort of wary, though. But there was a lot of confidence with the pilot, Walter…But it was one of those things where intuition should have been followed. Cassie said, ‘I’m going to ride in the truck,’ but she changed her mind at the last minute. There was so much leading up to that…Now as an older person I can see it. Man, all the signs were there.”

Billy Powell, who played the keyboard for Lynyrd Skynyrd, went to describe the moment the aircraft descended and collided with trees on the ground. According to the report by Classic Rock, memories of the incident still effect Powell.

Powell, while recollecting the plane crash to Classic Rock, shared,

“We hit the trees at what seemed like 100 miles an hour. It felt like we were being hit with baseball bats in a tin coffee can with the lid on…The tail section broke off, the cockpit broke off and buckled underneath, and both wings broke off. The fuselage turned sideways, and everybody was hurled forward. That’s how Ronnie died. He was catapulted at about 80 mph into a tree. Died instantly of a massive head injury. There was not another scratch on him, except a small bruise the size of a quarter at his temple”

As per Ultimate Classic Rock, Powell experienced severe injuries on his nose and right knee. In the aftermath of the crash, despite the emotional and physical toll of the incident, he has often shared important information about the band with its fans, as per the news outlet.