John Denver’s father was a test pilot on the B58 Huster. John screwed up, starved the engine of fuel, and ended up in Monterey Bay. There was no fuel in the cockpit of any of Rutans designs. The fuel “rod” your talking about runs down the right side of the aircraft longeron, following the side stick control rods back through the rear seat bulkhead, to the fuel tank selector, right, left, and off. I helped my uncle build both a Vari-Eze and a Long-Eze with hundreds of hours in both aircraft, they are both exceptional! Even today, the mph/hp/range of Rutans canard family of aircraft is still leaps and bounds above anything else in the sky, some 45 years after the first Vari-Eze flight. 999JD won best home built at Oshkosh in ‘80 or ‘81. John just had a bad moment and unfortunately it cost him his life. He was pre-flying the aircraft prior to purchasing and everyone assumed that the fuel selector position, as found after the crash, contributed to the crash. I met John in Redding California at my uncles hanger and my uncle gave John a ride in 999JD. They came back after a couple of hours and John was just flabbergasted at the performance of the plane. Interesting guy!

so back when that accident happened I was working in CA in a shop that specialized in EZs. I heard the news in the morning and called in to work. "where have you been? the news was knocking on the door at 7 AM". So I went into work, my boss, who had built a lot of long Ezs, did the interview and it was his hypothesis that was accepted as the cause of the accident. What you said was true, the airplane was beautiful (my wife and I almost bought it) and Denver was an excellent pilot.

-- Thank you for making this video. I never really knew exactly what happened to John Denver, and now I do. A sad story.

Thank you for providing my daily "I learned something new"! I could never figure out exactly what happened with all the speculation "he suicided, etc". BTW, BIG John Denver fan, so this knowledge means a lot to me.

John Denver didn't have a valid pilot's license when he took off that fateful day. He lost his license because he was busted twice for DWI. It's sad that it happened. He was a very talented entertainer.

The rescue diver who recovered Mr. Denver's remains was a friend of mine. He himself is now deceased but I recall him being a little shaken up by the incident.

Best explanation ever of this tragedy! Great job and thank you for spreading awareness! 👍

The Long Eze and Veri eze the veri eze was first the long as designed later to offer more space. Are both extremely responsive to rudder input. You rarely ever use rudder in flight with them unless your flying highly aggressive turns etc. The flight control inputs on these planes are extremely small compared to traditional aircraft also. Moving the flight stick just a 1/2 inch or so would result in a hard bank quite fast. The rudder was very much the same way. Also the Veri Eze and Long Eze were literally built to the pilots body size. The cockpit width was based on shoulder width and the seat position was fixed actually a structural component of the fuselage. John Denver was a tall guy and this likely added to the issue of putting pressure on the rudder pedal as he turned his body to reach the fuel selector. The Veri Eze I built with my grandfather pre Long Eze days. The fuel selector was found in many different locations. The stick was about 4 inches tall poking out of an arm rest / control channel that ran front to back on the right side of the cockpit. We decided to have our fuel selector on a wheel/ knob right under the front stick at the front of the armrest- fuel valve was an updated type of valve with easier less friction movement located behind the rear passenger. The Veri Eze design was for maximum efficiency and speed ie lightest possible weight for the highest possible speed. Which case no starter, only a motorcycle battery for electrical no fuel pump. So we had three fuel tanks. One was a 3.5 gallon head tank literally behind the rear passengers head up high to gravity feed fuel to the hand propped/ started engine with nose gear up. With engine running pilot lifts the nose off the ground, cranks the nose gear down and climbs in while providing the counter weight to the engine. The Long Eze ran a starter and heavier stuff for a more civilized flying experience. The Veri Eze was faster and far more efficient than the Long Eze. Rutan designed the Veri Eze to win efficiency races being held after the oil embargo to show his engineering and design skills as a young designer. He absolutely crushed all his competitors with the veri eze and soon many pilots wanted a 180-190knot 4gph rocket and Rutan had his first successful kit plane. The Long Eze came out of pilot’s wanting a starter motor, more cockpit space for cross country trips with minimal luggage etc. The veri eze we use to joke that we only had room for two pairs of clean underwear.

The canard aircraft are some of the safest planes flying because of their anti-stall characteristics. I met Dick Rutan when he was flying a long ez from Anchorage Alaska to the Bahamas. Also watched him bring the voyager into Oshkosh.

Excellent video, thank you for the very concise unbiased explanation. As a builder myself (RV4 and RV3) I know that sometimes you do the wrong thing for what you think is a good idea.

I knew about the valve issue but I never saw anyone actually demonstrate it. Thanks.

Yup. A friend of mine tested this at 3000 feet in his Long EZ. He reached around as if the fuel selector was over his left shoulder for about 5 seconds. When he turned back the plane was on a steep right bank and starting to descend.

That explanation was pretty much my understanding. I had thought he inadvertently pulled the stick to the side while he was reaching, but either way, the result is the same at such a low altitude. So sad. Thanks for the excellent explanation.

The internet is like that snotty kid in the back of the class who always had something to say about everything but actually knew nothing. (I think they all ended up in hollywood - at least at my school). I still miss John Denver's work today!

You don't have the John Denver fuel system or it's maintenance problems. There was some maintenance problems with that rod and link system. You'll be fine. I'm building a Cozy Mk IV. All the big stuff is done; wings, canard, fuselage. Need engine and avionics. Great content. Keep it up.

Thank you for doing this .. awesome job explaining what ended tragically for JD

Irony of ironies. On the day John died I was stopped for gas in Sacramento with a friend. A Long Easy flew over and I pointed it out as being a safe plane because of it’s canards. Hard to stall. I did not know that a friend and golfing buddy of mine, Neal, was playing with John at Pebble Beach. After 18 holes John elected to go fly his plane instead of sticking around for drinks. When I eventually learned that this all happened on the same day I was both saddened and flabbergasted at the timing.

Very good explanation in lay man's terms. I've read several detailed reports on the crash and you covered it well. He was flying on an expired medical but was very experienced. A tragedy.

In reading the comments, I hadn't seen anyone mention specifically that John Denver had literally borrowed a par of locking vice grips from the mechanic on duty that morning. The mechanic, after being shown what it was for (turning the fuel selector) advised against him going up that day because of that issue. The actual mechanic posts this very first-hand encounter on a you-tube video. Poor guy will live with this for the rest of his life. Anyways, the fact that he asked for some vice grips says it all. Also it was reported that he only took off with about 25% of fuel in each tank. Most speculate that he was going up to work out and experience the fuel switch. It was only the second time he'd flown THAT very plane which he had just purchased from a the builder/previous owner. So yes, he wasn't too familiar with it for sure (just like you said).

Thanks much for that story on John. I had read that some years back, but your clarification was needed. Loved his music, gone way to early.

stupid question , why not have a cross feed that draws from both tanks at the same time ?

I was familiar with the John Denver accident, however you added some additional details I didn't know about, thanks for the video.

Great explanation, thanks! I crashed a Long-EZ in 1991 (deep stall) and spent years trying to explain what a canard/experimental plane is. Then after Denver's crash, there was a picture on the cover of People magazine and then they understood. Since then, I've been flying a ♿ pulling 1 G.

Plenty of EZ's and long EZ's have the fuel valve on the aft bulkhead. You need to learn how and when to operate the valve.

As I have learned there is almost never just one cause of any accident. This one sounds like a poorly engineered fuel valve location causing the pilot to error. Of coarse there is that antsyness of the pilot to fly before fixing the problem also. This has gotten me in trouble with things before like driving a vehicle before all repairs are complete. I will fix those brakes tomorrow after work.

very well done story you have my admiration for a short story with all the information that is pertinent and none that is not. most of these pilot types on you tube are so full of BS thay are hard to stomach. thank you for your story. if you fly enough you will encounter some close calls, some due to your own making and some not in your control so much. if you are lucky you will live to share them with somebody who is nice enough to pretend to listen and understand.

Because any "unusual" aircraft looks different it tends to peak the interest of onlookers and if one crashes we tend to doubt it's "non standard" characteristics. When a 2nd one crashes it only "confirms" our thought patterns. We had a long ezee go down in Port Elizabeth a few years ago. It was ongoing engine trouble and the pilot had taken it for a test flight after working on the engine. He did the impossible turn over an urban area and did not make the airport. He did well to avoid houses but ran out of luck and unfortunately perished.

John Denver was not killed by the airplane. He should not have been flying in it in the first place. He had his license revoked. And there was an issue that issue with the fuel valve as you mentioned. He was likely trying to operate it when he crashed as you said. That doesn’t make the design of the aircraft any more dangerous than any other. Flying is inherently unforgiving of carelessness regardless of who the pilot is.

You need to go read the NTSB findings on his crash. There was an AD out on that fuel selector valve calling for its replacement because of a defect causing it to be excessively difficult to change between positions. This coupled with the difficult to reach location is what caused JD to crash after running out of fuel in one tank.

From what I understand, he was told to move the fuel valve by the guy that did his inspection. It was in a difficult location to reach!

The plane didn't kill John Denver. Pilot error killed John Denver. When he reached over his left shoulder he unconsciously pushed on the right rudder peddle. The aircraft flipped over and nosed dived into the ocean before he could recover.

He was golfing that afternoon and wanted to take his new plane for a quick trip around the patch before dark. Testimony says that his assistant wanted to get the fuel truck over and add some gas but John said it would be a quick trip and refueling was unnecessary.

I did know what caused the crash but glad you explained in the best and understandable way I have seen (for all people ).

Can’t wait for your next installment - just wanna hear more!😊

Excellent video. There some additional facts that I’d like to contribute. John was a gentleman of average height. 5’ 9” is what has been reported. The builder of the aircraft, Adrian Davis, was well over 6’ from what I’ve been told. John had a pillow stuffed between him and the seat backing, in order to push him forward enough to reach the rudder peddles. This pillow had feathers of a certain Canadian goose in it, and initial media reports attempted to conjecture that the feathers found in the wreckage may have been from a large bird that had brought down Denver’s aircraft. George Peterson, the NTSB investigator did his due diligence and quickly figured out that the feathers were from a species of bird that had never been known to be in the Monterey CA area, so the “hitting a bird “theory was dismissed. I am the aircraft mechanic that chatted with John that fateful day.

None of us will live long enough to make all the mistakes in aviation. That is why we must learn from the mistakes of others. Now to John Denver's lesson to us all. Sit yourself down in a comfy semi reclining seat in front of your TV with your legs outstretched. Now, turn to your left and stretch out with your right hand behind your left shoulder as if to grab a can of beer or soda from somebody standing behind you. Now pause and take in an anatomical fact of life. What are your feet doing? I guarantee that your right foot is now well ahead of your left foot. You take a few seconds to thank the person for the drink. Now back to poor old John Denver. He has inadvertantly pressed hard on the right rudder while focussed on that damned fuel selector behind and high left of his seat. He was distracted long enough for the wonderful Longezy to convert the right yaw to a right hand roll to be inverted and crash into the water. So sad. Let us all learn from this.

I had an Eze and went to a few air shows with it and got so tired of the “ John Denver “ question that I started saying that my Varieze was the actual aircraft he died in and I bought the pieces it and put it back together. So I just Stopped going . Great little airplanes. Very slippery and efficient. I’d take trips nonstop from Southern California to central Oregon on many occasions. Non stop on 24 gallons.

I read a slightly different account. That Denver was performing touch and goes at the airport near where he crashed and that he was running out of fuel. The account I read indicated he was having a fuel shortage. Never heard of the pedal being pushed in the process of turning the valve, but that makes perfect sense.

I was stationed at the Navy Postgraduate School then and was golfing the following morning at Pacific Grove Municipal golf course, some of which is right on the water. The Coast Guard was all over that area 100 yards offshore. Boats, helos, etc, we wondered what it was about then discovered later they were looking for JD and his plane. He stalled it over the water which was fortunate as if he made it another quarter mile we would have come through someone's roof.

Good explanation thanks. Although I do feel that anyone who only stuck around for the slightly "Clickbait" title, and the Hollywood opening, probably still thinks canards are the quickest way off the planet!

Simply keep both tanks full with fuel until the selector switch was fixed. He 'refused fuel' after lots of flying the day before. That's what killed him. Option 2: when you stand at the crash site facing the ocean turn 180 degrees and look. There's a beautiful smooth golf fairway at Pebble Beach golf course. Simply glide to a landing.

Absolutely nothing wrong with that aircraft! Fly that thing within it's CORRECT PARAMETERS. and you'll live to share another video!

I'm imagining a Typhoon pilot's response to the "John Denver Question" 😂

One of my favorites. I made a Cozy a few years ago. Man I would love to make another some day

There was a builder’s modification to the designer’s plans. Never deviate from the plans.

That's exactly how I read Denver's tragic accident happened, altered fuel thank selector. Also read Denver refused a pre flight familiarity rundown from the previous builder. Not that it made any difference but the same piece mentioned he failed to top the primary tank pre flight which would have prevented the need to switch. They failed to mention this is common practice on short hops to balance weight. Sure loved his music however.

It was his unfamiliarity with with the airplane at low altitude that got him killed, not the basic design of the plane. The plane has an excellent safety record

Well, the last week, in small part from clearing the drive from the first snow fall, I have suffered from severely painful back spasms when ever I raised my left arm or torsioning/twisting my left side, otherwise perfectly fine - as you describe the process of switching fuel source (and the fact that that should be done to equalize fuel mass regularly during flight) - I would not be able to do that maneuver physically without proceeding in very slow deliberate motion expecting sharp jolts of pain. I would not be safe to fly, would I realize that having a new toy enticing me to come play?

His licence was suspended because of a DUI. He did not fill the tanks before take-off on a plane new to him. Why so low? Flying unforgiving and will bite you! ALWAYS FILL tanks when you LAND. One less thing to remember and stops condensation.

extremely clear, very informative, thanks

Thank you for making this video. I never really knew exactly what happened to John Denver. I didn't even know he was an accom;lished pilot. The news stories made ir seem he was flying some minimalist untralight 6that disitegrated in flight. Thank you so much for this video!

Kudos to you for dissipating some of the BS floating around about the John Denver accident. I'd say one thing more though and that is that J.D. took off with minimal fuel in the tank he was using and "probably" switching from, and he was aware of that fact. All he needed do to still be among us was to buy some gas. Nothing is more useless than fuel on the ground and runway behind you. Seems that sometimes we get in a hurry and it costs dearly.

For a quick synopsis.....John had been a drunk..... a bad drunk..... for many, many years......and when you drink that much for that long, it affects your brain's ability to make good decisions. The FAA is aware of this dynamic, and John was not permitted to fly because he could not hold a pilot medical certificate at that time, so when he took off, he was not legal to fly....and his brain was still suffering from the years of alcohol abuse, and he wasn't able to properly manage fuel and maintain control of the aircraft. That is why he died. HTH.

Altitude is most always your pal. Many things lined up for this to happen. ~rip

Great vid. John Denver killed John Denver. A real shame. The EZ design is almost impossible to stall but you can sure crash one. Hope you have many hours of safe flight in that beautiful plane.

he was also a competent glider pilot...I am surprised he did not glide it down to a forced landing on the beach or near to the shore like a Trojan did recently... the aircraft has a glide ratio of about 12:1 prop windmilling and about 15:1 prop stopped...

John Denver paid no attention to rules ,weights ,balance or density altitude . Wasn’t his first time crashing .

John Denver's aircraft ran out of fuel, and he was unable to switch tanks due to the location of the L/R switch. What still has not been explained is why did this plane suddenly flip and go into a dive that kill John. Even out of fuel an experienced pilot would have been able to control the plane to some degree. Ah your video did explain it rather well, what I did not know was John Denver was flying at low altitude.

John Denver was an amazing musician and singer. I loved his music growing up and still listen to it sometimes to this day.

It is my belief & understanding they John extended his flight time beyond the original plan with insufficient fuel, thereby needing to do what he did. A very unwise act as he knew that he did not have a lot of fuel on board & knew of the problem with the fuel valve actuation. If he had returned to the airfield when he was supposed to, we may well be enjoying a much bigger catalogue of songs than we do now. I also believe that it was a team of investigators/engineers at Bankstown airport [Sydney Australia] that actually realised what the key to the whole problem was, although I understand that there was some elevator movement involved when he pulled back on the stick while trying to twist around to reach the fuel valve control. It was otherwise a fully airworthy aircraft of a well proven & safe design.

Correct me if I am wrong, but I understood his flying license was not active and he went flying regardless?

Yes thanks for the clarity

Who says you can't learn a little music history on an airplane channel ? 😀

Here from JB's. Thanks for the JD details.

Thanks so much for the clear commentary on the root cause of the crash. It's so sad about John Denver's demise. I agree that the Long Eze is a great aircraft. It's just a sad story.

On the crash that happened recently in that same location, where two people passed away, their aircraft had fixed landing gear, but had they had retractable landing gear, they could have left the landing gear in the stowed position, then they would have just skimmed the water, and most likely would have survived the landing on the water, but due to the landing gear being down, and fixed, when the craft hit the water, the landing gear entered the water first, which caused the plane to slam the nose and fuselage into the water, and disintegrated it, killing the two souls on board the plane.

Whoever built that plane should have been charged with manslaughter, or criminal negligence. Whoever approved that as a 'safe to operate' system should also have been held accountable. That opeation would not have been 'safe' at any altitude, like texting while driving.

Thank you for the Detailed Explanation. All these years, I thought John Denver completely forgot to Turn the Fuel Select Rod / but he did and end tragically.

Probable Cause: The pilot's diversion of attention from the operation of the airplane and his inadvertent application of right rudder that resulted in the loss of airplane control while attempting to manipulate the fuel selector handle. Also, the Board determined that the pilot's inadequate pref light planning and preparation, specifically his failure to refuel the airplane, was causal. The Board determined that the builder's decision to locate the unmarked fuel selector handle in a hard-to-access position, unmarked fuel quantity sight gauges, inadequate transition training by the pilot, and his lack of total experience in this type of airplane were factors in the accident. THIS is what killed jonh denver not the plane get it right

Well, when you buy a kitplane second hand, and the builder thought putting the fuel selector *behind* him was a good idea…

John Denver told his plane what to do. They both killed each other. User error.

John Denver's death was his lack of experince in the type! It had nothing to do with the desigh or operation of plane. On Take off out to the sea at 400' the engine starved of fle stopped giving life saving lift the plane was observed pitching to the left and plonging almost nose down into the sea! The reason was that John was reaching behind his head inwith his right hand to trun the fuel selector from one tank to the other as he twisted he was forced to extend his leg and that pushed the rudder on the right side which cause the yaw and his death, he had according to NTSB reports had had few previous flight

Yes, you did mention the mechanical issue. You did, however, failed to mention that he was not legally licensed at the time. He had lost his license due to his frequent drunk driving charges. He had many hours in many airplanes yes, but a good pilot does not fly without his. Also, they know better than to drink and drive or fly.

Great job of explaining it. It agrees with what I understand happened.

My understanding was that the fuel selector switch was located behind his seat. He took off with less than a full tank, ran out of fuel and couldn't get to the selector switch in time. Prehaps moving the stick in his attempts.

That is a Burt Rutan design very good. It was the fuel switch

The fault of John Denver's fuel-switching deadly mishap on a modified Long-EZ goes deeper than the FAA may have uncovered: the valve was probably made of "modern" yellow brass, which is a different alloy composition than traditional. The problem was not just the FAA-mentioned little negligence of having no indicaters next to the switch-handle! Old brass valves never had problems, they worked even after several decades. Modern yellow brass is containing more tin_Zn and less Cu than the previous alloy composition standard ( changed by bean-counters/authorities? or inferior foreign standards, Japanese, EU, or Chinese?). New_alloy brass valves, that are not operated regularly tend to stick and freeze in place!! (I have one stuck at home in my basement, albeit it is a water valve made of "modern brass" Crapp! Pfush!! ) There is too much Zn on the sealing surfaces so it oxidizes and the valve gets stuck. The first time it happens, the mechanics takes pliers and breaks it loose, so that the valve works again "almost normally". But the smooth sealing surface is "wounded" and new Zn atoms are exposed to the shearing surface and start solwly oxidizing encore. Supposedly this happened to John Denver: he had no pliers in the cockpit. To switch the bad fuel-valve he had to use all his force of his right hand fingers, then he tapped the foot pedal... Since he broke loose the valve with full force, it worked well again and the inspectors found nothing suspicious to criticize, except the missing tank indicators.

Very accurate summation, NTSB n FAA determined sympathetic muscle combined with low altitude. John also technically did not have a pilots license is accurate as he was convicted of drunken driving repeatedly. He also told the person who readied the craft for flight after he purchased it he was taking it up around the airport test it for ferry perhaps( I've not read any reason other than a joy ride) but he did not file a plan. According the the ATC in those days "we aren't the pilot police" was the response I got when discussing how he would have filed for a ferry permit or any plan. He wasn't supposed to fly out over the ocean as you well know. Canards do get a bit of a silly rep over the Long but hardly anyone outside those of us who appreciate them know of them. Several are even certified and not experimental. I have been dreaming of a Velocity and as you well know beyond the benefits of flight characteristics there is cost both initial and long term. Just the other day joby has proven that their fuel cells will work in their long range air taxi. I'd love to have a fuel cell pusher experimental. Albeit that would be a really long way off until hydrogen becomes much more available. For now I'd be happy to have me 1000 mile range n 1000 useful in an experimental I can work on and not have to buy certified holly molly it cost what parts. I've just found your channel and I'm interested in knowing the dash hardware you have I watched the stall spin video and said nice dash.

Also, thanks! Wonderful explanation! WillyB

The airplane was ferried from so cal to Monterey, Ca It was not refueled in Monterey before the fatal crash. If it had been refueled, there might not have been a distraction with the fuel slector. He made a mistake, just like many have or will have

I noticed you building construction, appearing similar to OSB. I have a building of thick chip panels designed for countertops.

Was there any accountability for the airport employees who allowed him to take off after his license was revoked?

I was lucky to see John Denver perform at the Sundome in Sun City Arizona in 1994. John died in 1997 and the Sundome was demolished in 2013.😢

Happens when you are flying the plane for the first time, run a tank dry, the fuel selector is behind your head, oh, and you’re flying at 100 feet.

I think there is one of these airplanes in entrance to junkyard in Shelton Washington?

Oh my YT's are getting so clever. I clicked on this the instant I seen the title.

Incompetence or suicide was the view I formed at the time many years ago, nothing since has changed my mind.

John was gonna buy that easy but didn’t because he died. I was fortunate to have a buddy that built one. It is a wonderful aircraft

Planes don't kill people . People kill people. You can line them all up on the ramp and see if anyone dies. Told ya!

One of those Cozy MK4s just crashed into Half Moon Bay on Jan 14 2024. All 4 people on board were killed.

I heard at the time he didnt switch the fuel lever to the correct tank and ran out of fuel.

Superbly clear. Thanx. And here I was thinking that Denver died over land in an ultra light “kit” which just folded on him. Yes…in a sense… it “dudn’t matter none” now but it’s always appreciated to simply “set the record straight” Oh yes…and John Denver’s spirit thanks you. 😉

John Denver killed John Denver. John Denver had his pilots license revoked. Multiple DUI's. John Denver the morning he took off illegally at Monterey. Knew he had a limited abount of fuel. The fuel switch to transfer fuel from one tank to another was behind the pilots left shoulder. When John tried to switch fuel tanks. John extended his right leg pushed the rudder. The EZ ROLLED. 200 FEET OFF THE WATER. SPLASH YOUR DEAD.

Yes fuel selector got him and he was not familiar with it.

How does this plane stall? Is it forgiven type?

There is nothing like killer a plane.If it’s approved to fly it’s good to go.Maintenance and skills from the pilot is the key .

Never hurts to know your airplane and your fuel status.

Denver was also struggling with alcoholism at the time of his death. In fact he had at some point had his license suspended.

Came here from Blanco.

John Denver died because the moved the switch for fuel transfer , his tank ran dry and he couldn't find the switch . According to the builders ,.