Student pilot has spinal surgery in Asheville after plane's crash landing on I-26

Ryley Ober, Asheville Citizen Times
·4 min read
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ASHEVILLE — A student pilot is recovering from spinal surgery at Mission Hospital after he and another pilot crashed aboard a single-engine plane into Interstate 26 the night of Dec. 14.

According to flight logs, the plane took off from Knoxville, Tennessee, at 7:36 p.m. Dec. 14 for its fourth flight of the day.

About 37 minutes later, 25-year-old Parker Riley Klehr, a certified pilot with Lift Training Academy, made an emergency landing onto the highway after the plane’s engine failed and smoke filled the cockpit, according to a preliminary report from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Both Klehr, of Pewee Valley, Kentucky, and Eduardo D. Vargas, 23, of Greenwood, Indiana, escaped from the plane before it erupted into flames, shutting down both lanes of I-26 overnight. Both suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were transported to Mission Hospital.

Sgt. Christopher Knox with N.C. State Highway Patrol confirmed the names of the passengers with the Citizen Times on Dec. 15.

“As of right now, I am OK and all, but can’t make any further comments,” Klehr told the Citizen Times Dec. 16.

Although he could not confirm if he has left the hospital, Klehr was not listed as a patient at Mission Hospital on Dec. 16.

Initial reporting: Small plane crashes on I-26 West near Asheville Airport; road closed 'indefinitely': NCDOT

The Citizen Times spoke Dec. 16 with Vargas, who said he was still in the hospital but “doing better.” Vargas confirmed he had a broken back from the crash and underwent spinal surgery Dec. 15.

Spokesperson Jon Austin with Lift Training Academy confirmed with the Citizen Times that the flight instructor and student pilot were conducting a training flight.

“Our certificated flight instructor used their training and experience to land the aircraft without serious injury to themselves or any injury to persons on the ground," Austin said. "We are proud of the skill and composure our pilot and flight student demonstrated throughout the event and grateful to the first responders who attended to the scene to aid our pilots and secure the site.”

A photo of the plane crashed on I-26 near Airport Road
A photo of the plane crashed on I-26 near Airport Road

Once firefighters from Skyland Fire Department arrived at the scene, the plane was “fully engulfed in flames,” Fire Chief Trevor Lance previously told the Citizen Times.

About 18 firefighters helped extinguish the fire, contain the area and check for any fuel. Lance said there were fuel leaks. The plane was destroyed from the crash, according to the FAA report.

The aircraft, a single-engine Diamond Star DA-40, underwent three separate flights earlier in the day, according to FlightAware.com, a multi-national technology company that provides flight tracking data.

Following is the flight logs for Lift Academy's plane on Dec. 14:

  • 7:47 a.m. Departs Myrtle Beach International Airport; 9:07 a.m. lands at Myrtle Beach International Airport.

  • 11:51 a.m. Departs Myrtle Beach International Airport; 12:49 p.m. lands at Myrtle Beach International Airport.

  • 1:51 p.m. Departs Myrtle Beach International Airport; 5:09 p.m. lands at Knoxville Downtown Island Airport.

  • 7:36 p.m. Departs Knoxville Downtown Island Airport; 8:13 p.m. crash landing near Asheville, NC.

After the firefighters put out the fire, the N.C. State Highway Patrol arrived on the scene and took over, due to the crash being in its jurisdiction on I-26, Lance said.

Previous reporting: Update: NCDOT: All Asheville I-26 lanes reopen near airport after plane crash closures

“It struck a tractor trailer as it was landing, so highway patrol is doing an investigation,” Lance said. “Also, power lines were involved as the plane was coming down.”

The person in the tractor trailer did not sustain any injuries, according to Lance. The Citizen Times has reached out to the highway patrol for the name and condition of the driver.

Buncombe County EMS, an Asheville Regional Airport public safety officer, N.C. State Highway Patrol and the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office responded to the plane crash.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash along with the FAA, both agencies confirmed.

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Ryley Ober is the Public Safety Reporter for Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at rober@gannett.com and follow her on Twitter @ryleyober

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Asheville I-26 plane crash student pilot recovering spinal surgery