Overview

• Brett James, 57, died Sept. 18 in a small-plane crash near Franklin, N.C., with the FAA confirming all three people on board were killed.
• Kenny Chesney posted a lengthy tribute, calling James a close friend and co-writer whose loss leaves a permanent void in his life and shows.
• Flight records show the aircraft was registered under James’ legal name, Brett Cornelius, and the crash occurred around 3 p.m., according to FlightAware and the FAA.
• The NTSB has opened an investigation into the cause of the crash, which remains undetermined.
• James was a Grammy-winning writer of Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus, Take the Wheel” and a Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee, as fellow artists shared public remembrances; some outlets reported his wife and stepdaughter were also victims, a detail not confirmed by investigators.