Overview

• Authorities confirmed James died in the Sept. 18 crash alongside two others identified as Melody Carole and Meryl Maxwell Wilson.
• The single-engine Cirrus SR22T departed Nashville’s John C. Tune Airport and went down around 3 p.m. near Iotla Valley Elementary School, with no injuries reported on the ground.
• FAA data show the aircraft was registered under James’ legal name, Brett James Cornelius.
• The NTSB is leading the investigation, and officials have not determined a cause or said whether James was piloting.
• Tributes poured in from the music community as colleagues noted his Grammy-winning work on “Jesus, Take the Wheel” and his Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame induction.