A small plane carrying race car driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. crashed just after takeoff at a Tennessee airport on Thursday afternoon.
All three members of the Earnhardt family, including his wife Amy and one-year-old daughter Isla, as well as two pilots are said to have survived the crash but are being evaluated at a local hospital. The FAA confirmed that the Cessna Citation rolled off the runway at Elizabethton Airport just before 4 p.m. on Thursday. Airport manager Dan Cogan said the plane then caught fire.
Photos and video of the crash show thick, black smoke billowing from the wreck site as five people are pulled from the wreckage.
Earnhardt’s father, also a professional race car driver, was killed in a crash at the Daytona 500 in 2001. Earnhardt Jr., 44, retired from professional racing in 2017 having participated in more than 600 NASCAR races over a two-decade career.
The FAA announced later on Thursday that they would launch an investigation into the crash, and the National Transportation Safety Board will determine the likely cause of the accident.
“I can confirm Dale, Amy & Isla along with his two pilots were involved in a crash in Bristol TN this afternoon. Everyone is safe and has been taken to the hospital for further evaluation. We have no further information at this time. Thank you for your understanding,” Dale’s sister Kelley said in a tweet.
I can confirm Dale, Amy & Isla along with his two pilots were involved in a crash in Bristol TN this afternoon. Everyone is safe and has been taken to the hospital for further evaluation. We have no further information at this time. Thank you for your understanding.
— Kelley Earnhardt (@EarnhardtKelley) August 15, 2019
This story is developing and will be updated as details become available.
