Brett James’ Final Radio Transmission Revealed Before Tragic Plane Crash, ‘Perform A 360 Turn…’

Brett James, is a popular Grammy-winning country music songwriter, who is behind the timeless hit, Jesus, Take the Wheel. He was one of the most celebrated artists, who tragically passed away on September 18, 2025, in a plane crash, near Macon County Airport in Franklin, North Carolina. He was with his wife and stepdaughter. While fans are still not over their unexpected passing, a new report has been released, which sheds light on Brett’s last radio transmission.

Brett James’ last radio transmission was about a 360 degree turn

On October 20, 2025, a report was released by NTSB and People, which shared that Brett James was piloting a Cirrus SR22T on a routine flight from John C. Tune Airport (JCA) in Nashville to Macon County Airport (MCA) in Franklin, North Carolina. When he was about to reach at 2:48 p.m., he told the air traffic control that he was at 6,800 feet and “intended to perform a 360° turn to land.” A report by NSTB shared:

“Surveillance video showed the airplane flying over the runway before initiating a descending left turn. The airplane continued descending in the left turn before entering a tightening spiral and impacting the ground. The plane was rocking from side-to-side and eventually began rolling inverted and descending behind a tree line.”

Brett James shared a heartfelt post months before his death

Before the tragic passing on Brett James, his wife, Melody Carole Wilson and his stepdaughter, Meryl in September 2025, the songwriter had shared a heartfelt photo on his Instagram handle. In June 2025, he shared a photo with his family and captioned it, “Such an amazing Father’s Day!!” Reportedly, Meryl had celebrated her birthday just a few days before the tragic plane crash. 

Before that he had shared a photo with his wife, Melody. It was a selfie of the couple from their vacation in the Bahamas. He captioned it, “So much fun with my love in the Bahamas.” The unexpected death of the family has not only left their fans and closed ones in shock, but has also made these Instagram posts even more special. 

More about Brett James

Brett James was reportedly born on June 5, 1968, and he attended Baylor University. In the early 1990s, he decided to pursue music and songwriting. He released a solo country album in 1995, under Arista Nashville’s Career label, but soon shifted towards songwriting. His first hit came with Jessica Andrews’ Who I Am. 

Over the years, Brett James went on to write hundreds of songs, some of which are When the Sun Goes Down, Jesus, Take the Wheel and more. In his career, he worked with artists like Kip Moore, Dierks Bentley, Kelly Clarkson, Taylor Swift and more. In 2020, he was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. He is survived by wife, Melody and four adult children from his previous marriage. Reportedly, his stepdaughter, Meryl had celebrated her birthday just a few days before the tragic plane crash. 

What are your thoughts on Brett James’s last radio transmission, just minutes before his tragic and unexpected death? Let us know. 

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