Three children, two adults were victims of fatal plane crash in West Nashville, NTSB says
Three children and two adults were on board the single-engine airplane that crashed along Interstate 40 in West Nashville Monday, federal authorities confirmed in a Tuesday press conference from the crash site.
"They are Canadian citizens," Aaron McCarter, a National Transportation Safety Board aviation accident investigator said. Authorities have still not yet identified the victims, but the plane originated from Canada, where it was registered in July 2023, he said.
McCarter said NTSB will investigate who the pilot was, his or her qualifications and how much experience and flight hours they had.
“It’s always difficult, of course, doing an investigation when children are involved,” McCarter said. "But we’re going to find out what happened.”
The single-engine Piper PA-32RT-300T crashed shortly before 7:45 p.m. Monday near mile marker 202 on Interstate 40 in West Nashville, narrowly missing motorists and a shopping center.
The plane left Mount Sterling, Kentucky, around 7:19 p.m. and was set to arrive at John C. Tune Airport around 7:43 p.m.
The plane passed over the airport at 2,500 feet, McCarter said Tuesday, and investigators are still working to determine why the plane did not land at that time.
Shortly after, the pilot called out on the radio that the plane had lost power.
"I’m going to be landing. I don’t know where," he said.
The air traffic controller tried to steer the pilot toward a runway at John Tune Airport.
"Yes, I have the runway in sight," the pilot said, before adding, "I’m too far away, I won’t make it."
At 7:44 p.m., the first call came in to 911 about the plane crash, Metro Nashville Police Spokesperson Don Aaron said during a news conference Monday night.
The plane, coming from the Southwest, was 60 feet from crashing onto I-40 eastbound, McCarter said. The airplane passed overhead, made a U-turn and crashed into a grassy area.
“The aircraft tumbled, came to rest on the hill behind me and burst into flames,” McCarter said. "And all five persons on board were fatally injured.”
The wreckage was taken from the crash site Tuesday to AMF Aviation in Springfield, Tenn. for reconstruction in hopes of finding what went wrong, McCarter said.
"The accident site is very muddy," he said. "Tomorrow morning, myself and my party members will meet at the facility and do an examination and basically put the plane back together."
A preliminary report will be available within 10 days, McCarter said, with a full report between nine and 12 months.
Several videos of the crash were captured on cameras, though McCarter said NTSB is looking for help from witnesses that saw the crash as they continue to investigate.
McCarter said any witnesses can visit witness@ntsb.gov and provide information about the crash.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Plane carried three children, two adults before crashing in Nashville
