Posted on 08/16/2019 2:43:11 PM PDT by Cecily
The private plane carrying NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr., his wife, and child, bounced twice on the runway before it crashed to the ground and erupted into flames on Thursday, officials have revealed.
Earnhardt Jr., 44, had been flying to Bristol with his wife, Amy, their 15-month-old daughter Isla, and their family dog, Gus, when his private plane skidded off the runway of Elizabethton Municipal Airport.
National Transportation Safety Board investigator, Ralph Hicks, said surveillance footage captured the plant thumping down on the runway two times before the right landing gear collapsed, causing the aircraft to skid beyond the tarmac, through a chain link fence and out onto a local highway.
During the impact the fence coiled itself around the front of the plane, but remarkably the cabin door was not obstructed and everyone on-board – including the two pilots – were able to escape from the wreckage before the aircraft was entirely engulfed by fire.
Elizabethton Fire Chief Barry Carrier described the Earnhardt’s unlikely escape as ‘very lucky’, insisting that ‘everything worked in their favor instead of against them,’ facilitating their survival.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
As a pilot I can’t help but wonder what would cause them to screw up a normal approach by flying into the runway?
I’m sure Junior will get to the bottom of this.
“I’m sure Junior will get to the bottom of this.”
*
Was junior in the pilot seat? Can’t tell from the article....
Sounds like a hard landing, not that I know much about aircraft.
Prang!
I hope the future episode of “Air Disasters” chronicling this crash is not as confusing as this article.
His oldan was a legend. Junior, not so much. Anyone who is where he or she is because of who they are related to cannot be a legend.
D’oh, “old man.”
Especially after what happened to Hendricks’ plane.
The pilot must have been a Navy vet reliving his carrier landing days!
The article says “two pilots,” with the implication that the “two pilots” are separate from the Earnhardts. I could be wrong, of course.
::...surveillance footage captured the plant thumping down on the runway two times....::
~~~~~~~
Well, if a plant thumped on the runway, it’s no wonder the plane crashed.
Do any of these “journalists” proofread?
The Hendricks’ plane flew into a mountain in bad weather. This crash appears to have happened on a clear, dry, sunny day. I don’t think we know what the wind situation was, though.
More and more I've come to suspect that they're writing their stories with their thumbs and posting them from their cell phones.
Both pilots aboard the small Cessna Citation, privately owned by JRM Air,
escaped without issue.
Mike Davis, branding professional with Earnhardt’s JR Motorsports’
organization, corroborated that statement by saying, “I can
confirm Dale, Amy, and Isla along with his two pilots were
involved in a crash in Bristol, Tennessee 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.”
Yes, that’s weird. Bet the NTSB can figure it out though. They’ve got good film as well as cockpit recorder.
Very lucky family and crew.
Yes, there were two pilots, neither of them part of the family.
NTSB guy said “calm winds” I believe.
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