On March 4, a fireball was caught on traffic cameras when a small aircraft crashed in the median of Interstate 40 on the west side of Nashville, Tennessee.
The single-engine plane crash, which occurred at approximately 7:40 p.m., killed all five people aboard, according to the Metro Nashville Police Department.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) began investigating the crash that evening, with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) scheduled to join on March 5.
Mayday Call
A Nashville Air Traffic Control tower received a mayday call from the aircraft indicating engine and power failures.The pilot requested emergency approval to land at John C. Tune Airport, according to audio archived on LiveATC.net and reviewed by The Epoch Times.
“I’m going to be landing…,” a male pilot can be heard saying, while letting out a heavy sigh. “I don’t know where.”
Witnesses reported the airplane coming from the north over I-40 before its rapid descent behind a Costco store.
Archived camera footage shows the aircraft quickly passing just above traffic before a fireball emerges seconds later out of frame, lighting up the night sky.
“According to some witness information, their plane was obviously in distress as it was coming over the interstate, right before it hit the ground,” MNPD Spokesman Don Aaron said in a press conference shortly after the crash.
“I think he was having significant issues keeping the aircraft under control.”
Immediate Response
Kendra Looney, from the Nashville Fire Department, praised the firefighters’ quick response, saying it prevented further casualties and safeguarded evidence.“That impact was catastrophic and did not leave any survivors,” she said. “When our crews arrived on the scene, they were met with heavy flames and fire and smoke.”
Authorities could not even determine the tail number of the aircraft in the wreckage, she said.
“Multiple people have perished and our hearts go out to those individuals and their families,” Mr. Aaron said on March 4. “We don’t know who those persons are at this point.”
The crash prompted the immediate closure of I-40. As of the morning of March 5, all lanes were open but traffic cameras showed that traffic was moving slowly.
Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell issued a statement 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.”
