Brett James, Grammy-winning songwriter, dies in plane crash

James' wife and stepdaughter were also killed when the Cirrus SR22T crashed in Franklin, North Carolina

Brett James, a Grammy-winning songwriter whose credits include the Carrie Underwood hit Jesus, Take the Wheel - died alongside his wife and stepdaughter in a plane crash on Thursday, according to authorities and reports.

James, 57, had been flying with his wife and stepdaughter when the plane, a Cirrus SR22T, crashed under unknown circumstances" in a wooded area of Franklin, North Carolina, said officials and media reports. The plane had taken off from John C Tune airport in Nashville, Tennessee, as reported by the Associated Press.