Probe Cites Several Causes in John Denver Plane Crash

Singer John Denver died in a 1997 airplane crash because he took off with too little fuel in one tank, had trouble switching to his backup tank and inadvertently put his plane into a roll while his attention was diverted, the National Transportation Safety Board concluded Tuesday.

The board, in a 5-0 vote, also blamed a builder’s decision to relocate the fuel tank selector handle, an absence of markings on the handle and nearby fuel gauges, as well as Denver’s lack of training in his new plane. It crashed Oct. 12, 1997, off Pacific Grove, Calif.