OAN’s James Meyers
10:11 AM -Tuesday, March 5, 2024
A shocking video showed a small-engine airplane crashing beside a Nashville highway, killing all five onboard, moments before the pilot warned: “I’m too far away, I won’t make it.”
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The plane was approved for an emergency landing at John C. Tune Airport after reporting engine and power failure around 7:40 p.m., Metro Nashville Police Department spokesperson Don Aaron said. However, the pilot told air traffic control that they wouldn’t make it to the tarmac.
Audio from the website LiveATC.net captured the communication between the pilot and the air traffic controller before the deadly crash.
“Do you still have John Tune Airport in sight?” the air traffic controller asked.
“My engine shut off. I’m at sixteen hundred [feet]. I’m going to be landing … I don’t know where,” the pilot responded.
The controller instructs him to continue the approach.
“Straight in runway 2, straight in runway 2 at John Tune. Do you have the airport in sight?… you’re clear to land,” the controller says.
The pilot says he has the airport in sight but adds: “I’m too far away, I won’t make it.”
“OK, uhhhh. See if you can glide in there, sir. Glide in, they’re clearing the runway for you,” the controller says, but the plane crashed moments later along Interstate 40 in West Nashville.
Meanwhile, the five victims have not yet been identified.
The aircraft did not hit any buildings or vehicles as it crashed almost 3 miles from the general aviation airport.
According to The Tennessean, Nashville International Airport spokesperson Stacey Nickens stated the plane left Mount Sterling, Kentucky, at 7:19 p.m. and was supposed to arrive at John C. Tune Airport at 7:43 p.m.
Kendra Loney, a spokesperson for the Nashville Fire Department, described the horrific crash as “catastrophic,” saying witnesses told authorities the plane exploded on impact.
“According to some witness information, their plane was obviously in distress as it was coming over the interstate, right before it hit the ground,” Aaron said. “I think he was having significant issues keeping the aircraft under control.”
Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell posted a statement of condolences on X.
“Our thoughts go out to the loved ones of all those on board the single-engine aircraft that crashed near Interstate 40 this evening,” he said.
The cause of the crash is under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration.
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