1997…..
Singer John Denver is killed when his small aircraft he was piloting crashed off the coast of California. The cause of the accident was Denver’s inability to switch fuel tanks while in flight. Denver had purchased the plane from an individual who built it from a kit. The builder had placed the fuel switch behind the pilot, as opposed to its intended position between the pilot’s legs. This prevented the pilot from switching tanks while strapped in and required the pilot to twist their body 90° to reach the switch. Denver apparently lost control while trying to switch fuel tanks and crashed.