Reba McEntire, the beloved country music superstar, knows all too well the pain of loss and the depths of suffering. In a heartbreaking turn of events in 1991, a devastating aircraft disaster took the lives of her trusted tour manager and seven beloved members of her band. This tragedy marked a turning point in Reba’s life, one that she continues to navigate with strength and grace.

On that fateful day of March 16, 1991, Reba and her band delivered a spellbinding performance at a prestigious event in San Diego. Little did they know that it would be the last time they would all be together. The band members, along with the tour manager, boarded a plane from Brown Field Municipal Airport bound for Fort Wayne, Indiana, while Reba, her then-husband and manager Narvel Blackstock, and her stylist Sandi Spika stayed behind in San Diego.

As fate would have it, tragedy struck just ten miles east of the airport when the first plane carrying Reba’s loved ones crashed into Otay Mountain. The devastating impact claimed the lives of everyone on board, leaving Reba and Narvel to grapple with unimaginable grief and heartache. In a poignant interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2012, Reba opened up about the tragedy, recounting the pain of losing those dear to her.

Reba vividly recalled the moment when Narvel rushed back to their hotel room in the early hours of the morning, sharing the shattering news of the plane crash. Filled with hope and desperation, Reba asked about the fate of their friends, only to have her hopes dashed by Narvel’s solemn response. In that moment, the weight of the tragedy enveloped them both, leaving them grasping for answers and struggling to come to terms with the immense loss.