John Denver Crash Site — Pacific Grove, California

John Denver died on October 12, 1997, when his experimental Rutan Long-EZ aircraft crashed into Monterey Bay near Pacific Grove, California. He was 53 years old. Denver was an experienced pilot who had recently acquired the home-built aircraft. The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the crash was caused by the pilot's unfamiliarity with the fuel system's valve handle, which led to fuel starvation during flight. The plane plunged into shallow water approximately 100 yards offshore.

John Denver (born Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. in Roswell, New Mexico) was one of the most commercially successful acoustic artists of the 1970s, with hits including 'Take Me Home, Country Roads,' 'Rocky Mountain High,' 'Sunshine on My Shoulders,' and 'Annie's Song.' He sold over 33 million records in the United States and was also a committed environmentalist and humanitarian, co-founding the Windstar Foundation and working with organisations fighting hunger. His music — earnest, melodic, deeply connected to the American landscape — was dismissed by rock critics but beloved by millions.

The crash site in Monterey Bay near Pacific Grove is not formally marked, as it is in the ocean. A memorial bench was placed along the coastline. Denver's ashes were scattered in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, the landscape that inspired much of his most famous work. 'Rocky Mountain High' was designated one of Colorado's two official state songs in 2007.