On a fateful day near Nashville Highway, tragedy struck as a small plane crashed, claiming the lives of two adults and three children on board. The news of the devastating accident sent shockwaves through the community, leaving many in mourning for the lives lost too soon.
The details surrounding the crash remain unclear, with investigators working tirelessly to determine the cause of the tragic event. As families and friends grapple with their grief and loss, questions linger about what could have led to such a catastrophic outcome.
The single-engine plane came down about 60 feet away from eastbound lanes of Interstate 40, near the Nashville suburb of Charlotte Park, just before 8 p.m. Monday, officials said.
The plane had circled over John C. Tune Airport at 2,500 feet and briefly flown away, and it was coming back to the airport when it lost power, McCarter said.
“For reasons unknown, the aircraft descended and approached John C. Tune Airport and passed overhead at 2,500 feet," McCarter said. "The pilot reported that he was going to pass over the airport at 2,500 feet. Very quickly thereafter the pilot reported a catastrophic engine loss of power, a complete loss of power.”
The plane crashed about 3 miles from the airport.
The crash prompted the temporary closure of I-40 east at mile marker 202, Tennessee Department of Transportation Region 3 spokeswoman Rebekah Hammonds said on X.
Witness video shows an aircraft engulfed in flames and smoke, and images shared by police capture the aircraft’s mangled frame surrounded by first responders on a grassy roadside.
Live traffic cameras also showed a large emergency vehicle response blocking all eastbound travel lanes near the crash site and a string of gridlocked traffic leading up to the shut-down stretch of I-40 east.
Nashville Fire Department said the plane imploded on impact. The "impact was catastrophic and did not leave any survivors," the representative said.
The fire department was met with heavy flames as they reached the scene, but they were able to extinguish it and preserve evidence from the scene.
It had been cruising at about 10,500 feet for much of the journey, with no reported issues, McCarter said. It could take up to a year for the final NTSB report to identify a possible cause for Monday's crash.
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