In 1991, Reba McEntire, the renowned country singer faced a tragic loss when seven members of her band and her tour manager perished in an airplane crash during a concert.
The heartbreaking incident occurred on March 16, 1991, following a performance by McEntire and her band at a private event in San Diego. Two planes were prepared at Brown Field Municipal Airport to transport the band members to their next destination in Fort Wayne, Ind., for their upcoming show.
The initial group, consisting of band members and the tour manager, departed on the first plane, leaving McEntire, her then-husband and manager Narvel Blackstock, and her stylist Sandi Spika behind in San Diego for the night.
Reflecting on the tragic event during an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2012, McEntire recounted the harrowing details. She described how the second plane safely reached its destination, while the first plane tragically crashed just 10 miles east of the airport after its wing struck a boulder on Otay Mountain, resulting in the loss of everyone on board.
McEntire emotionally shared, “When Narvel returned to the hotel room where I was – two or three a.m. – and said one of the planes had crashed, I asked, ‘Are they OK?’ ‘I don’t think so,’ he responded. ‘But you’re not sure?’ I asked. ‘I don’t think so,’ he replied.”
The devastation and uncertainty of the situation left McEntire and Blackstock anxiously awaiting more information about the catastrophe. She recalled, “Narvel was going room to room with a phone, ringing… I’m sorry – it’s been 20 years, but I don’t think it ever stops hurting.”
Despite offers from friends like Vince Gill and Dolly Parton to use their bands to finish the tour, McEntire declined. Instead, she dedicated her next album, “For My Broken Heart,” to the lost band members, and it debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, selling four million copies.
Each year on the anniversary of the tragedy, McEntire honors the memory of those who perished. In 2014, she used Instagram to mark the crash anniversary. Then, on the 25th anniversary in 2016, she made a poignant trip to San Diego, sharing the experience with her followers on social media.
In her post, McEntire wrote, “Today is the 25th anniversary of the plane accident. In November last year, I returned to San Diego and took a helicopter to the accident site. I have a feeling they realize how much we miss them. My heartfelt condolences and prayers go out to all the families and friends.”
