Piper PA-32RT-300T Lance Down in Nashville, 5 Dead

[PHXPhlyer]

Five people killed in Nashville plane crash along I-40

https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/l ... 846869007/

Five people are dead after a small plane crashed along Interstate 40 in West Nashville on Monday night, officials said.

Metro Nashville Police spokesperson Don Aaron said the plane reported engine failure shortly before it crashed at mile marker 202 on I-40 at about 7:45 p.m. Nashville Fire Department dispatched several vehicles to the same location. I-40 eastbound was shut down due to the wreckage and lane closures and delays were expected to last into Tuesday morning.

Aaron said the plane was coming from the north to the south, landing in a grassy median along I-40 just behind the Costco store on Charlotte Pike. The aircraft did not hit any buildings or vehicles as it crashed.

Kendra Loney, a spokesperson with Nashville Fire Department, said witnesses told authorities the plane imploded on impact. She described the crash as "catastrophic."

Shortly after midnight, Metro police tweeted that five people onboard the plane died in the crash. The FAA was on scene and NTSB would arrive later, the post on X stated.



Crash investigators study the wreckage of a small plane crash just west of mile marker 202 on I-40 in Nashville, Tenn., Monday, March 4, 2024. Fatalities were reported, but officials declined to say how many were killed in the crash which hit a grassy area south of the shoulder of the interstate.
Nashville International Airport spokesperson Stacey Nickens confirmed the single-engine, fixed wing Piper PA-32RT-300T, tail number C-FBWH, left Mount Sterling, Kentucky around 7:19 p.m. and was set to arrive at John C. Tune Airport in Nashville around 7:43 p.m., according to its flight path.

"The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will investigate this aircraft accident after Metro first responders ensure the accident scene is safe," BNA said in a release Monday night.

The owner of the plane is unknown. It was registered in July.

When firefighters arrived at the crash site, Loney said they were met with heavy flames but were able to extinguish the blaze and preserve evidence for the investigation.

Emergency personnel investigate a plane crash as traffic begins to flow again just west of mile marker 202 on I-40 in Nashville, Tenn., Monday, March 4, 2024. Fatalities were reported, but officials declined to say how many were killed in the crash which hit a grassy area south of the shoulder of the interstate.
Aaron said the control tower at John C. Tune Airport received a message from the aircraft, saying it was experiencing engine and power failure and needed an emergency landing.

The pilot then radioed and reported that they would not make it to the airport before the plane crashed.

"According to some witness information, their plane was obviously in distress as it was coming over the interstate, right before it hit the ground," Aaron said. "I think he was having significant issues keeping the aircraft under control."


Jamie Hollin, a Nashville resident and former Metro Council member, was driving along I-40 shortly after the crash. He said he and the others in his car couldn't make out what they were seeing.

"My kids tried to rubber neck but couldn’t make out what it was that burned so badly," Hollin told The Tennessean. "They kept saying it wasn’t a car and my mind didn’t expect it to be a plane."

Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell issued a statement on X after the crash Monday night.

"Our thoughts go out to the loved ones of all those on board the single-engine aircraft that crashed near Interstate 40 this evening," he said.


At 10:32 p.m. Monday, MNPD reported that one lane of I-40 eastbound between the Charlotte Pike and White Bridge Road exits would reopen and two of the three lanes would reopen before rush hour Tuesday morning.

Drivers are warned to expect delays in the area.

PP

[Dushan]

Canadian TV reporting that 4 Canadians were onboard. That makes sense given the Canadian registration of the aircraft. Not known if the flight originated in Canada but most likely.

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

The track/audio seems to show an engine failure after a go-around. Didn't have the energy to make it back to the airport, and may have crashed attempting to line up with I-40 Eastbound.

[PHXPhlyer]

Not a go-around.
One report I read said they overflew the field at 2.500' MSL then were making a turn back inbound when the engine quit.

PP

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

Quite possible; the track I saw had no height readout. They ran in on runway heading.

[Dushan]

5 members of the same family. Two adults and 3 children. Eye/ear witness reporting that they heard the engine of the plane as it overflew the highway. Also, last stop before the crash seems to be a popular gas-up location. Could the gas have been contaminated?

[PHXPhlyer]

Three children, two adults were victims of fatal plane crash in West Nashville, NTSB says

https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/l ... 854716007/

Three children and two adults were on board the single-engine airplane that crashed along Interstate 40 in West Nashville Monday, federal authorities confirmed in a Tuesday press conference from the crash site.

"They are Canadian citizens," Aaron McCarter, a National Transportation Safety Board aviation accident investigator said. Authorities have still not yet identified the victims, but the plane originated from Canada, where it was registered in July 2023, he said.

McCarter said NTSB will investigate who the pilot was, his or her qualifications and how much experience and flight hours they had.

“It’s always difficult, of course, doing an investigation when children are involved,” McCarter said. "But we’re going to find out what happened.”

The single-engine Piper PA-32RT-300T crashed shortly before 7:45 p.m. Monday near mile marker 202 on Interstate 40 in West Nashville, narrowly missing motorists and a shopping center.

Investigators work at the scene of a fatal plane crash near Interstate 40 on Tuesday, March 5, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee.
The plane left Mount Sterling, Kentucky, around 7:19 p.m. and was set to arrive at John C. Tune Airport around 7:43 p.m.

The plane passed over the airport at 2,500 feet, McCarter said Tuesday, and investigators are still working to determine why the plane did not land at that time.

Shortly after, the pilot called out on the radio that the plane had lost power.

"I’m going to be landing. I don’t know where," he said.

The air traffic controller tried to steer the pilot toward a runway at John Tune Airport.

"Yes, I have the runway in sight," the pilot said, before adding, "I’m too far away, I won’t make it."

Aaron McCarter, of the NTSB, gives an update on Tuesday, March 5, 2024 from the crash scene in west Nashville, where a small plane went down overnight, narrowly missing Interstate 40 and a popular shopping mall.
At 7:44 p.m., the first call came in to 911 about the plane crash, Metro Nashville Police Spokesperson Don Aaron said during a news conference Monday night.

The plane, coming from the Southwest, was 60 feet from crashing onto I-40 eastbound, McCarter said. The airplane passed overhead, made a U-turn and crashed into a grassy area.

“The aircraft tumbled, came to rest on the hill behind me and burst into flames,” McCarter said. "And all five persons on board were fatally injured.”

The wreckage was taken from the crash site Tuesday to AMF Aviation in Springfield, Tenn. for reconstruction in hopes of finding what went wrong, McCarter said.

"The accident site is very muddy," he said. "Tomorrow morning, myself and my party members will meet at the facility and do an examination and basically put the plane back together."

A preliminary report will be available within 10 days, McCarter said, with a full report between nine and 12 months.

Several videos of the crash were captured on cameras, though McCarter said NTSB is looking for help from witnesses that saw the crash as they continue to investigate.

McCarter said any witnesses can visit witness@ntsb.gov and provide information about the crash.

PP

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

I have the full track now, here
https://www.flightaware.com/live/flight ... 0305/0019Z

Judging from where the height starts dropping, the engine fails about here
https://www.google.com/maps/place/36%C2 ... ?entry=ttu

He's about 2.2 nm from the threshold of Rwy 02, facing the opposite direction, at 2,400 ft with 1,900 ft to play with, at 120 kts.
Best I can tell from the data, he starts the turn immediately, going left instead of right (probably for visibility), and keeps the speed up.
From what I can find, the Cherokee glide is 73 kts, 1.7 nm/1000ft glide ratio.
This should mean he can - just - make it, depending on the wind.
However, there's a band of large, flat arable fields along the river almost all the way from the point of failure to the threshold, so this is a much better bet.
He appears to roll out after 90 degrees for a short base leg, probably making a decision, and he tells ATC he can't make the field.
It all looks good at this point.
However, judging from the crash site, right by the westbound 202 mile marker on I-40, and the eyewitnesses, he stalls it in the turn to finals.

[PHXPhlyer]

From Juan Browne:



PP

[PHXPhlyer]

Initial NTSB on scene briefing:

https://www.wsmv.com/video/2024/03/05/n ... nashville/

PP