From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gillsburg is an unincorporated community in Amite County, Mississippi, United States. The community is part of the McComb, Mississippi Micropolitan Statistical Area. It is best known as the location of the October 20, 1977, plane crash that killed several members of the band Lynyrd Skynyrd.

A rental plane carrying the band between shows from Greenville, South Carolina, to Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was low on fuel and crashed in a swamp in Gillsburg.^[1]

The crash killed singer/songwriter Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, vocalist Cassie Gaines, assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, pilot Walter McCreary and co-pilot William Gray. The other band members were seriously injured in the crash.

Coordinates: 31°01′31″N 90°39′21″W / 31.02528°N 90.65583°W / 31.02528; -90.65583

Municipalities and communities of Amite County, Mississippi County seat: Liberty Towns Centreville‡ | Crosby‡ | Gloster | Liberty Communities Coles | Gillsburg | Smithdale Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

References