A small plane crashed alongside Interstate-40 in Nashville on Monday night, killing all five people on board, including three children. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are now investigating the cause of the crash.
According to Metro Nashville Police spokesperson Don Aaron, the control tower at John C. Tune Airport received a distress call from the pilot at approximately 7:40 p.m. The pilot reported that the aircraft, a Piper PA-32R, was experiencing engine and power failure and required emergency clearance to land.
In audio recordings obtained by WYMT, the pilot can be heard telling the air traffic controller, “Nashville, I’m declaring an emergency. My engine shut down.” The controller asked if the pilot was attempting to land at John Tune Airport, to which the pilot responded, “My engine turned off. I’m at 1,600. I’m going to be landing, I don’t know where.”
Despite having the airport runway in sight, the pilot declared, “I’m too far away, I won’t make it.” The plane ultimately crashed near Mile Marker 203 on I-40 East in West Nashville, approximately three miles from the airport.
NTSB investigator Aaron McCarter revealed that the flight originated in Ontario, Canada, and had made several stops along the way, likely for refueling, including in Erie, Pennsylvania, and Mount Sterling, Kentucky. McCarter noted that prior to the pilot’s distress call, the plane had been on a normal flight track with no reported mechanical issues.
Witness Matthew Wiser described the crash to the Associated Press, stating, “I saw an airplane essentially crash out of the sky, fall out of the sky, and hit the ground at around a 45-degree angle. When it hit the ground, there was a 30-to-40-foot explosion of fire.”
The identities of the victims have not yet been released, as the NTSB is working with the Canadian government to notify their families. The investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing.
