Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s plane 'bounced' before catching fire, FAA accident report says

Andy Humbles

The plane that carried Dale Earnhardt Jr. bounced as part of a hard landing that resulted in a crash Thursday, according to a report from the Federal Aviation Administration.

The Accident and Incident Notice states the plane left the runway and caught fire after the landing at Elizabethton Municipal Airport in Elizabethton, Tennessee.

Earnhardt Jr., his wife, daughter, two pilots and a dog were on the plane when the crash occurred Thursday afternoon, according to reports. No injuries were reported.

The passengers quickly rushed out of the plane and away from the scene as authorities arrived, Elizabethton Fire Chief Barry Carrier said. Fencing was wrapped around the crashed plane but did not block the cabin doors, Carrier added.

What we know: Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s plane crash in Tennessee

During a press conference Thursday, Ralph Hicks, the lead investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board, gave a briefing on the crash.

Hicks said surveillance footage from nearby buildings that recorded the crash showed "the airplane basically bounced at least twice before coming down hard on the right main landing gear," which collapsed.

"The airplane continued down the runway off to the end, through a fence and it came to a stop … on Highway 91," Hicks added.

The flight from Statesville, North Carolina, lasted about 20 minutes, Hicks said, adding that weather was described as good with calm winds.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., wife Amy and their daughter, Isla, were in a plane crash landing Thursday, Aug. 15, 2019, near Bristol Motor Speedway. Here, they are pictured on Sept. 21, 2018.
Dale Earnhardt Jr., wife Amy and their daughter, Isla, were in a plane crash landing Thursday, Aug. 15, 2019, near Bristol Motor Speedway. Here, they are pictured on Sept. 21, 2018.

Investigators have spoken with the pilots, whose information is consistent with the video, Hicks said.

The NTSB will look at all systems "methodically," which will include review of a voice recorder, Hicks said.

A preliminary report is expected in about seven days.

Earnhardt went to a local hospital for observation after the crash and was discharged later Thursday, according to reports.

The plane was registered under the code N8JR to JRM Air LLC in Mooresville, North Carolina, where Earnhardt's race team, JR Motorsports, is based.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Dale Earnhardt Jr. plane crash: Aircraft bounced after hard landing