Overview

• Authorities said all three aboard were killed and identified the other victims as his wife, Melody Carole, and her daughter, Meryl Maxwell Wilson.
• Flight records show the aircraft departed from John C. Tune Airport in Nashville before crashing in Franklin around 3 p.m. local time.
• The Macon County Sheriff’s Office reported the site was adjacent to Iotla Valley Elementary School and confirmed there were no injuries on the ground.
• The FAA and NTSB opened investigations, and officials have not determined a cause or whether James was piloting.
• The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame confirmed his death as tributes poured in from artists and industry groups recognizing his extensive hitmaking career.