The band members and tour manager took off, leaving McEntire, her manager Narvel Blackstock at the time, and her stylist Sandi Spika in San Diego for the evening.
In a depressing 2012 interview with Oprah Winfrey, McEntire recalled what happened next. Only ten miles east of the airport, the first jet to depart crashed, while the second jet took off unharmed and made it to its destination.