ASHEVILLE, NC – A small aircraft met with a tragic accident on Interstate 26, near Asheville Regional Airport in western North Carolina, on Thursday night. The plane not only crashed but also caught fire, causing severe damage.
Two individuals who were on board at the time of the crash sustained injuries. They were immediately rushed to a nearby hospital for medical attention. The severity of their injuries was not life-threatening, according to the authorities.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have initiated an investigation into the incident to ascertain the cause of the crash.
The aircraft involved in the accident was a single-engine Diamond DA-40. It crashed around 8:15 p.m., hitting power lines that cross I-26. One of the wings of the plane also struck a tractor-trailer, leading to the aircraft being engulfed in flames.
The tractor-trailer was damaged in the incident, but the driver escaped unharmed.
The crash led to the closure of the highway in both directions on Friday morning. Duke Power workers were deployed to repair the damaged power lines that cross the highway, as per the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
The FAA and NTSB will continue their investigation into the crash, aiming to prevent similar incidents in the future.