New details reveal how Grammy-winning songwriter Brett James lost control of his plane in fatal c...

The musician was piloting the small plane, with his wife and stepdaughter aboard, when it spiraled downwards and crashed. New details reveal how Grammywinning s

The musician was piloting the small plane, with his wife and stepdaughter aboard, when it spiraled downwards and crashed.

New details reveal how Grammy-winning songwriter Brett James lost control of his plane in fatal crash

The musician was piloting the small plane, with his wife and stepdaughter aboard, when it spiraled downwards and crashed.

By Shania Russell

Shania Russell

Shania Russell is a news writer at *, *with five years of experience. Her work has previously appeared in SlashFilm and Paste Magazine.

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October 20, 2025 3:51 p.m. ET

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Brett James attends the 58th ASCAP Country Music Awards Reception at Soho House Nashville on Nov. 7, 2022. Credit:

Jason Kempin/Getty

Late country singer-songwriter Brett James was piloting the plane that killed him and his family, new details have revealed.

According to a report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) published Monday, the Grammy-winning artist and producer, 57, was piloting the aircraft and attempting to land when he lost control, causing it to crash.

News of James' death emerged late last month. It was previously understood that the songwriter was one of three people on board a Cirrus SR22T, registered to him, that crashed in Macon County near Franklin, N.C., around 3 p.m. EST on Thursday, Sept. 18. Also aboard the plane was his wife, Melody Carole, 59, and his 28-year-old stepdaughter. None of the three survived.

The NTSB report details the incident, which was captured on camera as the small-engine aircraft began spiraling out of the air, not far from the runway where James was attempting to land. Records show that James and his two passengers departed from John C. Tune Airport (JCA) in Nashville that Thursday, heading for MCA in Franklin, N.C.

Brett James performs on stage during the CMA Songwriters Series at Joe's Bar on July 30, 2015.

Gabriel Grams/Getty

James approached the Franklin airport around 2:48 p.m., per NTSB investigators, and "requested a visual approach" to land. He subsequently reported that he was at 6,800 ft and "intended to perform a 360 degree turn to land" on the runway.

Air traffic control received no further transmissions from James after that, and surveillance cameras captured the crash. James' aircraft had begun a descending left turn when it went into a "tightening spiral" and crashed into the ground. On-site witnesses reported the aircraft flying at a low altitude and "rocking side-to-side, with its wingtips moving up and down, before rolling inverted and descending behind a tree line."

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According to flight records, James' plane crashed just over two hours after takeoff in an open field in Franklin, about a quarter-mile from MCA and west of Iotla Valley Elementary School.

No signs of engine failure were found in the NTSB's investigation. The plane has since been recovered and is undergoing further examination.

James, whose career spans two decades, was known primarily as a songwriter for other country and pop music artists, including Kelly Clarkson, Faith Hill, Rascal Flatts, and Tim McGraw.

Brett James and Carrie Underwood during 43rd Annual ASCAP Country Music Awards.

Rick Diamond/WireImage

While he at times struggled with his own solo career, James found success behind the scenes as a songwriter. Early on, he wrote for Billy Ray Cyrus, Kenny Chesney, and Martina McBride, landing his first No. 1 hit in 2001 with "Who I Am" by Jessica Andrews. He later won the 2006 Grammy for Best Country Song for co-writing Carrie Underwood's smash hit "Jesus, Take the Wheel."

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Several of James' former collaborators and friends from the music industry paid tribute to the artist following his death. Among them was Underwood, who called him "the epitome of 'cool,'" and praised his contributions to the industry.

"Brett's passing is leaving a hole in all of us that I fear won't ever go away," Underwood wrote. "It will forever be a reminder that this life is but a moment… We have to make the most of each day we're given here on earth. Each day is a gift.

James is survived by four adult children, three sons and a daughter, from his marriage to ex-wife Sandra Cornelius-Little.**

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