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NTSB Confirms Fuel Leak Caused Ricky Nelson's 1985 Crash

12/31/2025

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Summary

Story summary

The National Transportation Safety Board concluded Ricky Nelson's plane crash on New Year’s Eve 1985 was caused by a fuel line leak, countering drug-use rumors.
In their memoir What Happened to Your Hair?, Gunnar and Matthew Nelson recount the events surrounding their father’s death and the struggles that followed.
They faced debt from their father’s $4 million burden and worked to settle it over ten years.

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Story summary

The National Transportation Safety Board concluded Ricky Nelson's plane crash on New Year’s Eve 1985 was caused by a fuel line leak, countering drug-use rumors.
In their memoir What Happened to Your Hair?, Gunnar and Matthew Nelson recount the events surrounding their father’s death and the struggles that followed.
They faced debt from their father’s $4 million burden and worked to settle it over ten years.