Award-winning songwriter was one of victims
Three people were killed Thursday afternoon when a single-engine aircraft crashed in the Iotla community.
Grammy award-winning songwriter Brett James, 57, was killed in the crash alongside his wife, Melody Wilson, 59, and stepdaughter, Meryl Wilson.
Aircraft N218VB, a Cirrus SR22T single-engine aircraft, went down just before 3 p.m. on Sept. 18 in a field near the Macon County Airport and Iotla Valley Elementary School.
The plane departed from Nashville at 12:41 p.m. Central Time, flying for one hour and 14 minutes according to flightaware.com, which lists flight details. As it neared the Macon County Airport, the plane made two loops around the airport to shed speed and altitude, dropping from 7,000 feet to 2,250 feet at the time of its last report.
Three staff members from the school saw the plane going down and were the first to arrive at the crash, according to Renee Burt, executive assistant to the superintendent for Macon County Schools. First responders were contacted at 2:57 p.m. Responders included the Cowee and Franklin Fire Departments, the Macon County Sheriff’s Office, N.C. State Highway Patrol and Macon County EMS.
Highway Patrol Sgt. Chris Cook said the Federal Aviation Administration would be overseeing the investigation of the crash. A preliminary report available through the FAA’s website said the reason for the crash was unknown.
The crash happened just as the school day was ending at nearby Iotla Valley Elementary School.
“Students were present in the building preparing for the end of day dismissal but did not see nor hear the crash. A few pre-k students were on the pre-k playground at the time of the crash but could not see or hear the crash,” said Burt. Additional counselors were on hand throughout the day on Friday; Burt said counselors also would be available this week for students or faculty members.
According to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, James was originally from Oklahoma City. The songwriter wrote music for Billy Ray Cyrus, Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney and Bon Jovi. Brett’s rise to fame started in 2001 with Jessica Andrews’ “Who I Am” and eventually led to a Grammy with Underwood’s “Jesus Take the Wheel” in 2006 for Best Country Song. James was inducted into the County Music Hall of Fame in 2020.
“Brett James has been a consistent powerhouse songwriter, publisher, and producer for over 30 years. He achieved heights that few songwriters in our town have ever seen. He was a star himself in every way a star can be defined, racking up dozens of hits for the who’s who of music,” stated Lee Thomas Miller, president of Nashville Songwriters Association International. “He represented the Nashville songwriting community all over the world, performing his hits as well as educating fans and lawmakers about the threats to intellectual property. He was a longtime board member and officer for the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), serving in any role he was asked. NSAI and country music are better because of Brett. He will be missed more than I can even begin to say.”