Brett James (Terry Wyatt/Getty Images)Songwriter Brett James, who is credited with writing or co-writing hundreds of songs — including Carrie Underwood‘s “Jesus, Take the Wheel” — was one of three people killed in a small plane crash in North Carolina, according to multiple people close to him. A Cirrus SR22T crashed in a field in Franklin, North Carolina, around 3 p.m. local time Thursday, according to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration. For more than 20 years, James was known primarily as a songwriter for other country and pop music artists, including Martina McBride, Kenny Chesney and Jason Aldean. Underwood’s hit song “Jesus, Take the Wheel” won Grammy Awards for best country song and best female country vocal performance. Officials said they are still trying to figure out what caused the plane crash.