John Denver killed in Pacific Grove plane crash 25 years ago today

PACIFIC GROVE, Calif. (KION) Twenty-five years ago today, singer/songwriter John Denver died in a plane crash in Pacific Grove.

Denver was flying a homemade plane, practicing landings and takeoffs, at the Monterey Regional Airport. He was just offshore when the plane ran out of fuel.

The National Transportation Safety Board reports that he turned in his seat to find the fuel selector valve, causing him to apply the right rudder accidentally. The 53-year-old lost control and died in the resulting crash.

The NTSB said Denver was not adequately trained for the transition to this aircraft type and was inexperienced in flying it.

Two days after the 1997 crash, the Associated Press reported that NTSB spokesperson Matt Furman said Denver did not have a valid license because his medical certificate was denied.

"It is tragic what happened here 25 years ago today, and his death was a loss for the music world," said Pacific Grove Mayor Bill Peake 

He is best known for hits like "Take Me Home, Country Roads," "Annie's Song," and "Leaving on a Jet Plane."