Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his family were involved in a private jet crash in eastern Tennessee earlier this afternoon. Earnhardt Jr. his wife, daughter and dog escaped serious injury, according to officials.
Elizabethton Fire Chief Barry Carrier confirmed they were on the aircraft that ran off the runway upon landing at 3:38 pm ET. Bristol City Motor Speedway, where the Monster Energy NASCAR Series is scheduled for Saturday night, is nearby.
The famed NASCAR driver and auto racing analyst’s sister, Kelley, tweeted that those on board were OK. “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,”
The Federal Aviation Administration said a Cessna Citation rolled off the end of a runway and caught fire after landing. It said it received no reports of injuries. The FAA said two pilots and three passengers were aboard.
Chief Carrier told CNN that all five people were out of the plane when the fire department arrived. “When our first unit arrived, there were heavy flames coming from the airplane,” said Carrier. The fire burned for 20 minutes.
Bristol City Motor Speedway, where the Monster Energy NASCAR Series is scheduled for Saturday night, is near the airport.
Earnhardt’s father, iconic racer Dale Earnhardt, was killed in a NASCAR crash on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. Jr has been semi-retired from the sport since 2017.
Plane crash on stoney Creek. Looks like everyone out okEdit: Earnhardt Jr.'s plane. Everyone is out and ok.-first responders were already on the scene that's why I didn't intervene. I'm not trained. -i made no money off the video. It was to show he was ok.
Posted by Scott Reis on Thursday, August 15, 2019
[h/t nyp]
