Lake Monona, one of the four lakes in the Madison area, has been the scene of more than one fatal airplane crash. It’s a small lake, only about five square miles in size, but it’s on the flight path for airplanes landing at Madison’s airport, now called Dane County Regional Airport, but once known as Madison Municipal Airport.

The most famous of these crashes took the lives of Otis Redding – a Soul artist from Macon, Georgia – and most of his band members. The accident occurred on December 10, 1967, when Redding’s personal twin-engine Beechcraft H18 crashed into Lake Monona at about 3:30 pm while on its approach to Madison. Redding and the band, called the Bar Keys, were on their way to Madison from Cleveland, Ohio, to perform at the Factory, a club at the corner of Gorham and State Streets. [1]

Local newspapers recount the details of the horrific accident (alongside reports on the Vietnam War). Along with Redding, the crash killed five members of the Bar Kays and the pilot. Most of the band members were in their teens. The only survivor was 20-year-old Ben Cauley, who played trumpet. Cauley was picked up by a police boat after spending fifteen minutes in the icy water, using a seat cushion for flotation. [1] Two other members of the Bar Kays luckily took a commercial flight, as there was no room for them in the Beechcraft. 

The crash site was about one-half mile north of Tonyawatha Park. Police and volunteer divers searched for bodies for two days, hampered by silty water and cold temperatures. [1] Redding was found a day after the accident, still strapped into the co-pilot seat. Divers also spent time searching for Redding’s briefcase, which apparently held $4,000 in cash, at the behest of Redding’s booking agent. [2] 

The NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) lists the cause of the accident as “undetermined”. [3] The pilot had a commercial license with almost 1,300 hours of flying time and was instrument-rated. The full narrative is not available in the NTSB database (NTSB ID CHI68A0053), as is common with older accidents. Witnesses reported that the airplane’s engines sounded like they were stuttering, but there was no distress call from the pilot. [4] The airplane broke apart when it hit the lake. 

The NTSB database lists over 450 fatal civil aviation accidents in Wisconsin from 1964 to the present. There are five in the Madison area for this time period, including Redding’s. Other cities with relatively high numbers include Milwaukee (10), Superior (9), Watertown (9), Fond du Lac (7), Waukesha (7), Burlington (6) and Kenosha (6).

Oshkosh has 33 fatal accidents resulting in over 50 deaths. Oshkosh’s Wittman Regional Airport is the site of EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) AirVenture’s annual airshow and can be extremely busy in late July. Most of the accidents listed in the NTSB dataset occurred at this time of year, although it would be unfair to say that they were all associated with the air show. Oshkosh accident causes include pilot error, prohibited maneuvers, flying too low, flying too fast, flying too slow, aerodynamic stalls, landing gear problems, failure to maintain adequate separation, loss of control, improper maintenance, faulty equipment, medical emergencies and failure to follow protocols. 

Redding was only 26 when he was killed. His last recording, Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay, was released after his death, in January 1968. It topped both the R&B and pop charts, won two Grammy Awards and sold four million copies. [5] Redding was also a songwriter. His writing credits include Respect, a breakout hit for Aretha Franklin. Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay was an unusual song for Redding, given the introspective tone of its lyrics. 

Singer James Brown, the “Godfather of Soul” – but not necessarily an aviation authority – reportedly told Redding that his airplane was not big enough for so many people, and that Redding had no business flying in it. Brown apparently owned the airplane before selling it to Redding, even though he knew it had mechanical problems. However, this part of the story may not be factual, as the information is not from authoritative sources. 

Pieces of Redding’s airplane, including the left engine and propellor, were never recovered and still sit on the bottom of Lake Monona. If the water was clearer, you might be able to see them from a fishing boat. This part of the lake is only 35 feet deep. 

More next week…

[1] The Capital Times, Dec. 12, 1967, pp. 1, 4.

[2] Wisconsin State Journal, Dec. 12, 1967, pp. 1-2. 

[3] NTSB, Aviation Investigation Search. https://www.ntsb.gov/Pages/AviationQueryv2.aspx

[4] Wisconsin State Journal, Dec. 11, 1967, pp. 1, 2, 23. 

[5] WORT 899 FM, Madison, Dec. 10 1967 – The Death of Otis Redding. https://www.wortfm.org/madison-dec-10-1967-the-death-of-otis-redding-3/