Patsy Cline Plane Crash Memorial

Pay your respects to the late Patsy Cline at this memorial.

Virginia Patterson Hensley was an American singer known by her stage name, Patsy Cline. She was born in 1932 and died in a plane crash in 1963 in Camden, Tennessee. Patsy had just finished a benefit show in Kansas City, Kansas. It was suggested that Patsy, along with the group, Cowboy Copas, Hawkshaw Hawkins, and the pilot (Patsy's manager), Randy Hughes, take the six-hour drive home instead of flying due to inclement weather. Patsy said, "Don't worry about me. When it's my time to go, it's my time." The plane stopped in Missouri for fuel and landed at Dyersburg Municipal Airport in Dyersburg, Tennessee, at 5 pm on March 5, 1963.

The airfield manager also suggested that the group spend the night at the airport, but they continued on their journey regardless. The plane crashed that evening only 90 miles from Nashville in a forest just outside of Camden. Forensic experts determined that everyone on that flight died instantly. A farmer heard the plane engine sputter and saw the crash that followed. The crash location is now a marked memorial dedicated to all of the passengers. Signage and a gravel path lined with beams lead visitors on a winding and wooded trail. You will pass a gazebo, and later down the path; there is a sign saying, "Silence beyond this point" to remind visitors to be respectful and quiet. Guests will then reach an area with two benches and a large engraved boulder with the crash date (March 5, 1965), the names of the lives lost, and the memorial's dedication date (July 6, 1996).