Brett James, the songwriter behind Carrie Underwood’s hit “Jesus Take the Wheel,” died at the age of 57 in a plane crash on Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025. Now, even more details have come out about this tragic event.
According to Fox News, the plane was owned by James, and two other people from this crash: James’ wife, Melody Carole Wilson and stepdaughter, Meryl Maxwell Wilson.
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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told Fox that James appeared to be the person piloting the plane.
As Charisma Media previously reported, the plane crashed near Franklin, North Carolina in a field by Iotla Valley Elementary School around 3 p.m. Brett James, whose legal name was Brett James Cornelius, was best known for some of country music’s most recognizable songs. This includes Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus Take the Wheel” and “When the Sun Goes Down” by Kenny Chesney. He also wrote songs played by Rascal Flatts, Dierks Bentley and Jason Aldean. Back in 2020, he was officially inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
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During this time, let’s lift up Brett James’ family and friends who are mourning the loss, not only of his life, but of his wife and stepdaughter as well.
Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the upcoming book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment.
