NTSB releases preliminary report on Earnhardt plane crash

Published 9:07 am Tuesday, August 27, 2019

ELIZABETHTON,  (AP) — The National Transportation Safety Board says part of the landing gear collapsed and a section of the right wing hit the runway as the plane carrying Dale Earnhardt Jr. touched down a third time during its crash in East Tennessee.

The NTSB released a preliminary report Friday essentially repeating the description investigators offered at a news conference last week.

Earnhardt, a NASCAR television analyst and retired driver, was with wife Amy, 15-month-old daughter Isla, two pilots and the family dog when their Cessna Citation Latitude crashed Aug. 15. The report says three passengers suffered minor injuries.

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The report says the plane bounced twice during its landing, then continued airborne down the runway until touching down a third time with about 1,000 feet of paved surface remaining. The plane went through a chain-link fence before resting on the edge of Tennessee Highway 91.

The flight crew assisted passengers in evacuating through the main entry door.