A plane crashed in North Carolina's Iredell County on Thursday, leaving multiple people dead.
An "aircraft incident" was first reported by the Statesville Regional Airport, which said in a Facebook post, “At approximately 10:15am, an aircraft crashed while landing. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is en route and will investigate the incident.”
Subsequently, local media reports citing the sheriff's office confirmed that the incident in question was a plane crash.
The plane took off from the airport before immediately turning back around and attempting to land before it burst into flames, reported local media outlet WCNC, shedding some light on how the crash took place.
An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is currently underway, and further details are expected as the day goes on.
What we know about casualties
It was not immediately clear how many people were on board the crashed plane, and the number of casualties are yet to be declared.
Reports, however, suggest that multiple deaths are feared.
While details remain scarce about the crash, RT (formerly Russia Today) reported that a 1981 Cessna Citation II (Model 550) aircraft had crashed.
The plane was reportedly owned by GB Aviation Leasing, which, in turn, is owned by NASCAR driver Greg Biffle. However, it remains unclear if the driver was on board.
However, if the Statesville Regional Airport's website is anything to go by, the reports could be credible—the website reads, “The Statesville Regional Airport provides corporate aviation facilities for Fortune 500 companies and several NASCAR teams.”
It should be noted that the airport is a mere 45 miles from the Charlotte Motor Speedway, which hosts two annual NASCAR races: the Coca-Cola 600 (originally known as the World 600) and the Bank of America Roval 400.
Visuals from social media showed the plane up in flames, with nothing but the tail being identifiable in the fiery wreckage.
Status of the investigation
The investigation into the plane crash is currently underway and a press conference held by authorities provided no major details.
Officials said the jet crashed at the end of the east runway, adding that debris was still on the runway, and that the airport was closed until “further notice.”
They did not brief the media about the cause of the crash and the number and identities of those on board.
