Free Republic

Engine start was initiated using the onboard battery. Afterwards, following an initial unsuccessful start of the left engine, both engines were started around 9:53 a.m. But problems continued to mount as the aircraft taxied toward the runway. During taxi, the pilot and two pilot-rated passengers discussed that a thrust reverser indicator light for an unspecified engine was inoperative, though they believed the thrust reverser itself was working properly. Meanwhile, the right-seat passenger attempted to contact ZTL ATC and activate the flight’s IFR flight plan three times between 10:08 and 10:10 but was unsuccessful due to the controller’s workload and associated...

A week before Christmas, veteran NASCAR driver Greg Biffle is making headlines for the most tragic of reasons: He was killed, along with his wife and two children, in a private plane crash in western North Carolina, according to news reports. But a little over a year ago, he was making headlines of a different kind: For heroism in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. According to WCNC-TV in Charlotte, North Carolina, Thursday’s fatal crash occurred about 10:15 a.m. near Statesville Regional Airport in Iredell County, north of Charlotte. .....

STATESVILLE, N.C. (WBTV) - A plane crash at an airport in Iredell County resulted in multiple deaths on Thursday, the sheriff confirmed. The Cessna C550 airplane crashed at Statesville Regional Airport around 10:15 a.m. on Dec. 18. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told CBS News that six people were aboard the plane. It was not immediately clear whether there were any survivors. A picture from the airport showed the plane in a massive ball of flames after it crashed on the runway. Flight tracking records showed a Cessna 550 that took off from Statesville Regional Airport at 10:06 a.m. is...