911 calls detail urgency, confusion after West Nashville plane crash
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Authorities have released 911 calls detailing the moments before and after witnesses saw a plane crash near the shoulder of Interstate 40 East in West Nashville, killing two adults and three children.
Many of the callers expressed a sense of urgency after witnessing the single-engine plane come down near the interstate and burst into flames. Other 911 calls demonstrate the confusion in the moments after the crash, with some initially believing it was a car that had crashed off the road.
PREVIOUS: 2 adults, 3 children dead after small plane crashes off I-40 in West Nashville
The Metro Nashville Police Department said the control tower at John C. Tune Airport received a message from the pilot at around 7:40 p.m. on Monday, March 4 saying they were experiencing engine and power failure and needed emergency approval to land.
Officials gave approval to land on Runway 2, but the pilot then radioed the plane wasn’t going to make it to the airport. One of the first 911 calls came in just three minutes later.
Officials identify family of 5 killed in West Nashville plane crash
Caller 1: “Oh my God. I am on the interstate, I-40 coming into Nashville. Exit 204A. I just saw a small plane crash off the side of the interstate. I’m sure you’re getting lots of calls…. It exploded.”
Dispatcher: “Are you pulled over or are you driving?”
Caller 1: “I kept going. I had to swerve to miss it and I have my three kids in the car, I kept going.”
Police said the plane ended up crashing behind the Costco store just off the eastbound lanes of I-40 and immediately burst into flames. Calls continued to flood into dispatch for several minutes after the crash, with several drivers on I-40 in shock.
Caller 2: “My heart stopped… I’m on the opposite side of the freeway… I was just traveling going toward home on I-40 going west and I was just driving on the telephone, and I see this plane that’s going straight across my car and it just, it just, it’s in a field and it’s on fire.”
Dispatcher: “We’ve got help on the way, OK? I really appreciate it.”
Caller 2: “Oh my God, thank you Jesus.”
SEE ALSO: Investigators combing through wreckage of deadly Nashville plane crash
However, there was some confusion among the initial reports. Multiple people who drove by the crash told dispatchers a car had come off the road and caught on fire.
Caller 3: “Get somebody over here! There’s no address. There’s a bad car accident on I-40. A car exploded and is on fire… A car is on fire, it exploded and it’s over here coming into Nashville on I-40. The car is overturned and burning right now.”
Other callers confirmed it was a plane, with one woman telling dispatchers, “It wasn’t a car crash, it came from the sky. I don’t know if it was a small aircraft. I don’t know if anyone was in it.”
When the dispatcher referenced an earlier call about a car crash in the area, the woman replied, “I don’t think it was a car, it looked like it came from the sky.”
Some people also saw the plane flying very low over their homes before it came down. One woman said she was walking her dog near Costco in West Nashville when she saw the plane and then heard a bang.
Caller 4: “I was walking my dog and I saw the plane come over the neighborhood very low and I knew it was going to crash because it was too low and they weren’t near the airport, and then I heard a bang… we’re right by the crash, no one’s here. It’s totally on fire, we can’t get near it.”
Dispatcher: “I don’t want you to get near it. If there’s anybody that you can assist by not putting yourself in danger, please do so. But don’t go close to it, OK?”
Caller 4: “I don’t think there’s anybody, it’s totally on fire.”
Sirens could be heard in the background as she went on to frantically describe popping sounds coming from the plane, yelling at others to “get back.”
Police said no vehicles were damaged and the aircraft did not hit any buildings during its descent. No one on the ground was injured.
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The Nashville Fire Department said crews went to the crash site immediately after several witnesses saw the plane crash and were able to extinguish the fire, potentially preserving enough evidence for investigators to learn what led up to the crash.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation and Safety Board (NTSB) were continuing to investigate Tuesday, March 5, with officials expecting to have a preliminary report in about 10 days. However, it could take a year to complete a full analysis and probable cause.
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