Plane crashes and catches fire on North Carolina highway with 2 people escaping serious injuries

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — A small plane crashed on a highway in western North Carolina and caught fire Thursday evening, but the two people on board escaped life-threatening injuries, authorities said.

A single-engine Diamond DA-40 crashed on Interstate 26 near Asheville Regional Airport around 8:15 p.m. with two people on board, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

The North Carolina State Highway Patrol said the plane struck power lines crossing I-26 and one wing struck a tractor-trailer, WLOS-TV reported. The plane went up in flames.

The truck was damaged, but the driver was not injured, highway police said.

Two people on the plane were taken to a hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash.