Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
On September 20, 1973, Jim Croce boarded a small charter flight in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Less than a minute later, the plane crashed. For decades, the story of that crash has been filled with rumors, assumptions, and outright misinformation—from claims about a tailwind takeoff… to theories about what happened in the cockpit that night.
In this video, we strip all of that away. Using only available evidence—including the original NTSB report, historical records, and court findings—we break down:
* What actually happened on Croce’s final flight
* What we know for certain
* What we don’t know (and likely never will)
* And how the aviation system—and investigation standards—have changed since 1973
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TakingOff is sponsored by: FlyingEyes – Get 10% at flyingeyesoptics.com/pages/taking-offs-discount
ColtenTakingOff.com coltenmortgage.com/takingoff – For your residential mortgage or refi needs. Run by a pilot!
XeVision.com –Extreme LED Landing Lights, xevision.com the only competitor is the sun!
clemensinsurance.net – Your broker should be advocating on your behalf—call Clemens to have someone in your corner fighting for you!
Marshal Protective Services – mpsprotects.com Private Security Elevated!
The large METAR map on the set is from metarmaps.com Mention TakingOff as you go buy one!
The TakingOff Team uses Lightspeed Headsets. Support us by buying your Lightspeed through our link: https://www.lightspeedaviation.com/?r...
On September 20, 1973, Jim Croce boarded a small charter flight in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Less than a minute later, the plane crashed. For decades, the story of that crash has been filled with rumors, assumptions, and outright misinformation—from claims about a tailwind takeoff… to theories about what happened in the cockpit that night.
In this video, we strip all of that away. Using only available evidence—including the original NTSB report, historical records, and court findings—we break down:
* What actually happened on Croce’s final flight
* What we know for certain
* What we don’t know (and likely never will)
* And how the aviation system—and investigation standards—have changed since 1973
Join AEROVERSE! Use our code TakingOff for 15% off!!! aeroverse.com
TakingOff is sponsored by: FlyingEyes – Get 10% at flyingeyesoptics.com/pages/taking-offs-discount
ColtenTakingOff.com coltenmortgage.com/takingoff – For your residential mortgage or refi needs. Run by a pilot!
XeVision.com –Extreme LED Landing Lights, xevision.com the only competitor is the sun!
clemensinsurance.net – Your broker should be advocating on your behalf—call Clemens to have someone in your corner fighting for you!
Marshal Protective Services – mpsprotects.com Private Security Elevated!
The large METAR map on the set is from metarmaps.com Mention TakingOff as you go buy one!
The TakingOff Team uses Lightspeed Headsets. Support us by buying your Lightspeed through our link: https://www.lightspeedaviation.com/?r...
