Former NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is in the hospital following a minor plane crash this afternoon. The private aircraft reportedly ran off the runway and caught fire at a municipal airport in Tennessee about 65 miles north of Asheville. Earnhardt’s wife and one-year-old daughter were also aboard the plane at the time of the crash.
Authorities say everyone aboard the plane, including the two pilots, are expected to be okay.
In a statement to CNN the Federal Aviation Administration said a Cessna Citation rolled off a runway after landing at the airport at 3;40 p.m. today.
Elizabethton Fire Chief Barry Carrier tells CNN affiliate @WJHL11 that @DaleJr & his wife @AmyEarnhardt were on the plane that crashed at the Elizabethton Airport this afternoon. They are reportedly uninjured
— Dianne Gallagher (@DianneG) August 15, 2019
The FAA released the following statement to CNN on the crash: pic.twitter.com/gKsBzTvl9J
In a tweet Earnhardt, Jr.'s sister Kelly Earnhardt confirmed that he, his wife Amy and daughter Isla were involved in the crash.
"Everyone is safe and has been taken to the hospital for further evaluation," her tweet contiued.
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