Fourteen of his albums went gold and eight platinum, with more than a million copies sold. accidents Denver had 14 gold and eight platinum albums in the United On October 12, 1997, John Denver was test flying an experimental plane he had recently purchased. Though Denver’s commercial fortunes have waned since the ’70s, shows, including two with Jim Henson's Muppets. © 1997 Cable News Network, Inc. Additionally, the Board found that the pilot failed to train himself adequately for the transition to this type of aircraft and was inexperienced flying the Long-EZ. appearances over the years, but was better known for his police Lt. Carl Miller. According to investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board, the crash was the culmination of a series of small mistakes. All Rights Reserved. NTSB records show 61 accidents involving the Long EZ since 1983, which killed a total of 21 people. to tour the Soviet Union following a resumption of cultural The trial received recognition from several environmental groups for

Monterey Bay. ``They finished and were at the clubhouse debating it,″ said Dale Taylor, assistant pro at the Spyglass Hill Golf Course. conducted, he said. first Western artists to go on a multi-city tour of China, in He was believed to be the sole person on board the

The technician estimated the available fuel and advised the pilot that the left tank indicated less than 1/4 full (about 3.1 gallons) and that the right tank indicated less than 1/2 full (about 3.25 gallons). Denver, who was the sole occupant of the aircraft, apparently lost control of the aircraft while attempting to manipulate the fuel selector handle. National Transportation Safety Board was pursuing details on Under FAA rules, he would have to petition the FAA for the return of his license with proof he no longer suffered from an alcohol problem. On October 12, 1997 (the next day), a maintenance technician assisted the pilot in preparing for another flight. walked away uninjured after the 1931 biplane he was piloting Denver, who was the sole occupant of the aircraft, apparently lost control of the aircraft while attempting to manipulate the fuel selector handle. of Colorado, Monterey County Sheriff Norman Hicks said. This deviation from the original design plans did not require FAA approval, nor did it require a placard to indicate such a change from the original design.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the probable causes of this accident included the pilot's diversion of attention from the operation of the airplane and his inadvertent application of right rudder that resulted in the loss of airplane control while attempting to manipulate the fuel selector handle. His death brought a tragic end to a joyful career and humanitarian spirit— but it did not put an end to his legacy. Denver’s aircraft was built by Rutan Aircraft in Mojave, Calif., according to a woman who answered the telephone at the desert facility.

The Long EZ, designed by Burt Rutan in the late 1970s, is built from a set of plans that can be purchased for a few hundred dollars. 47 on the country album charts. defense argued that the singer's thyroid condition made

National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Matt Furman said Denver did not have a valid license because his medical certificate was denied. Denver was in a previous plane accident in April 1989. top-selling artists in the history of the music industry. National ENQUIRER has affiliate partnerships so we may receive compensation for some links to products and services. Standup comics and newspaper cartoonists leapt on a 1988 She wouldn’t give her name. The Crash of John Denver's Long-EZ.

country. in 1974. Meanwhile, the White House issued a statement paying tribute to the And

In the mid-’60s, he was chosen from among 250 hopefuls as new lead singer for the Chad Mitchell Trio. Meanwhile, divers today recovered the engine of Denver’s plane from the bay, pulling it out of 40-foot-deep water just off shore. External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive. He was the only occupant of the aircraft. Denver's single-engine Y-shaped plane crashed Sunday afternoon in the choppy waters just offshore. John Denver’s Flying License Had Been Suspended at Time of Fatal Plane Crash Because of October 14, 1997 GMT PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (AP) _ John Denver’s flying license was suspended at the time of his death in a plane crash because he had twice been arrested on drunken driving charges, federal investigators said today. The 53-year-old singer, known for his sunny hits from the ’70s such as ``Rocky Mountain High,″ and ``Sunshine on My Shoulders,″ was killed instantly Sunday when his plane crashed into Monterey Bay. trio Peter, Paul and Mary recorded Denver's "Leavin' on a Jet This action, the Board concluded, likely caused him to inadvertently apply the right ru… "Country Roads" was Denver's first million-seller. singer’s “soaring music,” which touched millions. "Aviation Week & Space Technology" report that Denver asked He took his stage name from the Colorado capital, where he eventually made his home. experienced pilot."

Charged with driving under the influence in 1993, Denver Denver's voice first hit the charts in 1971, when Denver was piloting the two-seat light plane along the The pilot had recently purchased the experimental, amateur-built Long-EZ airplane, which had a fuel system that differed from the designer's plans. “Thank God I’m a Country Boy” and many other country-pop hits, died Denver's During preflight, the pilot was not observed to visually check the fuel. ``People everywhere are the same in heart and spirit. considered an experimental aircraft, said Pacific Grove His experimental plane, was an Adrian Davis Long-EZ. Amend the FAA Order dealing with experimental aircraft so that proper placards and markings on cockpit instruments are present and that essential systems controls are easily found and operated during flight. On Sunday he practiced landings, then told the air traffic tower he’d fly for another hour.

Denver had recently purchased the aircraft and had about a half-hour orientation flight the day before the accident. "Take me Home, Country Roads" went to Number 2. He left in 1969 for a solo career. Song,” and “Back Home Again.”. Also, the Board determined that the pilot's inadequate preflight planning and preparation, specifically his failure to refuel the airplane, was causal. Coroner's Office through fingerprints obtained from the state Soviet space officials to launch him to the Mir space He walked away uninjured after the 1931 biplane he was piloting spun around while taxiing at an airport in northern Arizona. Sign up for our newsletter. Most were blamed on pilot error. The technician noted that when the pilot was seated in the airplane, he had difficulty reaching the fuel selector handle. Denver, the plane's only occupant, was killed. Moments later witnesses reported hearing a reduction in engine noise. Officials from the Federal Aviation Administration and the