A private jet carrying Dale Earnhardt Jr. burst into flames. He and his family were able to evacuate.
- A private jet carrying former racecar driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his family careened off a runway at Elizabethton Airport in Tennessee Thursday afternoon, bursting into flames as it came to rest on a highway near the runway.
- Earnhardt and his wife were unhurt and were able to quickly evacuate the plane, according to Elizabethton Fire Chief Barry Carrier, reported by local television station WJHL.
- This story is developing. Check back for updates.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
A private jet carrying former racecar driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his family careened off a runway at Elizabethton Airport in Tennessee Thursday afternoon, bursting into flames as it came to rest on a highway near the runway.
They were able to quickly evacuate the plane, according to Elizabethton Fire Chief Barry Carrier, reported by local television station WJHL. Carrier initially said that Earnhardt, Jr. and his wife, Amy Earnhardt were aboard the plane — the Carter County Sheriff's Office later clarified that Earnhardt, Jr., his wife, their child Isla, and two pilots were on the plane, along with a family dog.
Preliminary reports indicated that there were no injuries, although the Sheriff's Office later said that Earnhardt, Jr. was taken to the hospital for minor injuries, such as "cuts and abrasions," according to WJHL.
Earnhardt Jr.'s sister, Kelley, tweeted that everyone was okay and were being taken to a hospital for evaluation.
I can confirm Dale, Amy & Isla along with his two pilots were involved in a crash in Bristol TN this afternoon. Everyone is safe and has been taken to the hospital for further evaluation. We have no further information at this time. Thank you for your understanding.
— Kelley Earnhardt (@EarnhardtKelley) August 15, 2019
The jet was a Cessna Citation model 680, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
NTSB investigating today's crash of a Cessna 680 business jet in Elizabethton, TN.
— NTSB_Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) August 15, 2019
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement that it would investigate the crash:
A Cessna Citation rolled off the end of Runway 24 and caught fire after landing at Elizabethton Municipal Airport in Tennessee at 3:40 p.m. today. Preliminary indication is that two pilots and three passengers were aboard. Local officials will release their names and conditions. The aircraft registration is N8JR, look up the owner at FAA.gov. The FAA will investigate and the National Transportation Safety Board will determine probable cause of the accident.
Earnhardt Jr. and his company, JR Motorsports, signed a sponsorship deal with Textron Aviation, which makes Cessna and Beechcraft airplanes, in February, 2016. As part of the partnership, Earnhardt Jr. stated that he would use a Cessna Citation business jet for travel.
Join the conversation about this story »
NOW WATCH: How Area 51 became the center of alien conspiracy theories