This is the shocking moment a plane became engulfed in flames, crashing on a Nashville highway and killing all five people on board.
The single-engine plane crashed near Interstate 40 in the western part of the city around 8 p.m., officials said.
A pilot had notified a nearby airport saying there was an emergency engine and power failure WKRN. The pilot requested emergency clearance to land and later said he would not make the runway.
The plane crashed behind a Costco store, killing the unnamed pilot and passengers.
Video footage from nearby traffic cameras showed the stunning moment the small plane zoomed past the cameras and flew just above the highway. Moments later, a fireball could be seen coming from the highway.
Police in Nashville say several people are dead after a small plane crashed near a highway Monday night, closing several lanes
The single-engine plane crashed just off Interstate 40 in the western part of the city, Metro Nashville police said. Police said several people on board are dead
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration will investigate after Metro first responders ensured the accident scene was safe, the airport authority said.
The FAA says they don’t yet know exactly how many people were on board.
Fortunately, no vehicles or buildings appear to have been affected, preventing an even bigger tragedy.
Transportation officials said the eastbound lanes of I-40 were closed until the investigation progressed.
Officials are already speaking out about the tragedy, including Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell.
“Our thoughts go out to the loved ones of everyone aboard the single-engine aircraft that crashed near Interstate 40 tonight,” he said on X.
“I would like to thank the Metro emergency responders who quickly arrived on scene and extinguished the fire.”
The Nashville Fire Department has said their crews were able to extinguish the fire without destroying evidence relevant to any investigation.
Authorities posted a photo of the charred wreckage of the small plane in the grass along the highway
The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority said it was alerted to the crash, which occurred three miles south of John C. Tune Airport, at 7:49 p.m.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration will investigate after Metro first responders ensured the accident scene was safe, the airport authority said.
“We are saddened by the loss of souls who were on board, but we are proud of the work everyone is doing to stabilize this incident and ensure there are no additional casualties,” Metro Public Information Officer Kendra Loney added Fire brigade, please. .
Loney added that there were pieces of debris loose from the vessel at the scene, but officials quickly cleared them away so drivers could continue driving.
Despite this, traffic delays in the area are expected to continue at least until Tuesday morning.
It is unclear who owned the plane, which was officially registered in July 2023.