Seven killed in small plane crash at US North Carolina airport

Seven people were killed when a small private jet crashed in a fiery accident at a regional airport in Statesville, North Carolina, on Thursday, plunging the quiet airfield into chaos and grief, police said.

The victims reportedly include former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle, his wife and their two children, according to China’s Xinhua news agency. Official identification of those killed is still awaiting confirmation from the medical examiner’s office.

The Cessna C550 jet went down at around 10:20 am Eastern Time as it was attempting to land at Statesville Regional Airport, triggering a massive blaze that engulfed the wreckage, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said. Flight-tracking data showed the aircraft had taken off shortly after 10 am but returned moments later, attempting an emergency landing before disaster struck.

Dramatic video footage from the scene showed first responders racing onto the runway as flames consumed scattered debris from the shattered aircraft. Thick smoke billowed into the sky as emergency crews battled the fire and secured the area.

Calling the crash an “active and evolving” situation, Statesville City manager Ron Smith said multiple agencies were involved in the emergency response and investigation. Airport manager John Ferguson said the FAA had taken control of the crash site, adding that the airport would remain closed until the runway is cleared and deemed safe.

The FAA confirmed that it, along with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), has launched a full investigation to determine the cause of the fatal crash, as authorities work to piece together the final moments of the ill-fated flight.

With IANS inputs