2 hurt after medical plane crashes at NC airport, officials say
A small medical airplane crashed at Raleigh-Durham International Airport on Wednesday morning, officials told WTVD in Raleigh. According to its preliminary report, the Federal Aviation Administration says the crash happened during a failed landing.
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The airport had a full ground stop in place around 10:30 a.m., an airport spokesperson said. It was lifted by 11:30 a.m.
RDU had about 70 delays and some flights were rerouted to Charlotte, the spokesperson said.
The Airport Authority is responding to an accident involving a general aviation aircraft near RDU’s secondary runway, 5R-23L. The airfield is currently closed for flight operations. Check with your airline for flight status. Follow RDU’s social media channels for latest info.
— RDU Airport (@RDUAirport) April 24, 2024
The plane was flying into the airport from Wilmington, officials told WTVD. The airport spokesperson said their was no notification from anyone on board that there was any sort of emergency.
UNC Health officials told WTVD that two people were inside the plane at the time of the crash. One was trapped for a short time before they were freed by first responders.
UNC Health said the Daher TBM-850 is a UNC Air Operations medical plane.
Two people on the flight, Dr. Paul Chelmnski, an internal medicine physician at UNC, and the pilot, were released from the hospital.
They were in fair condition.
Officials said both victims were taken to the hospital, but their conditions have not been released.
Federal investigators will take over the next steps of the investigation.
By Thursday, the FAA confirmed to WTVD in its preliminary report that when the plane tried to land, it bounced before it started an approach. It crashed when it missed the runway on its approach.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
(WATCH BELOW: Plane returns safely to Charlotte airport after ‘maintenance issue’)
