WJHL
- A private jet carrying former racecar driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his family careened off a runway at Elizabethton Airport in Tennessee Thursday afternoon, bursting into flames as it came to rest on a highway near the runway.
- Earnhardt and his wife were unhurt and were able to quickly evacuate the plane, according to Elizabethton Fire Chief Barry Carrier, reported by local television station WJHL.
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A private jet carrying former racecar driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his family careened off a runway at Elizabethton Airport in Tennessee Thursday afternoon, bursting into flames as it came to rest on a highway near the runway.
They were able to quickly evacuate the plane, according to Elizabethton Fire Chief Barry Carrier, reported by local television station WJHL. Carrier initially said that Earnhardt, Jr. and his Kelley Earnhardt were aboard the plane — the Carter County Sheriff’s Office later clarified that Earnhardt, Jr., his wife, their child, and one other passenger were aboard the plane, along with the pilot and a family dog.
Preliminary reports indicated that there were no injuries, although the Sheriff’s Office later said that Earnhardt, Jr. was taken to the hospital for minor injuries, such as "cuts and abrasions," according to WJHL.
Kelley Earnhardt tweeted that everyone was okay, and were being taken to a hospital for evaluation.
The jet was a Cessna Citation model 680, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement that there were three passengers on board the plane, along with two pilots.
Earnhardt, Jr. and his company, JR Motorsports, signed a sponsorship deal with Textron Aviation, which makes Cessna and Beechcraft airplanes, in February, 2016. As part of the partnership, Earnhardt Jr. stated that he would use a Cessna Citation business jet for travel.
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Source: Business Insider – dslotnick@businessinsider.com (David Slotnick)