Google Earth view of Statesville Regional Airport, Statesville, North Carolina.
Source: Google Earth
A business jet crashed Thursday at a regional airport in North Carolina used by NASCAR teams and Fortune 500 companies, erupting in a large fire and killing multiple people, authorities said.
“I can confirm there were fatalities,” Iredell County Sheriff Darren Campbell said, though he declined to say how many.
The Cessna C550 crashed while landing at Statesville Regional Airport shortly after 10 a.m., about 45 miles (72 kilometers) north of Charlotte, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
The crash occurred at the end of a runway, said airport director John Ferguson.
“The airport now is closed until further notice. It will take some time to get the debris off the runway,” Ferguson told reporters.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA were investigating. AccuWeather says there was some drizzle and clouds at the time of the crash.
Video from WSOC-TV showed first responders rushing onto the runway as flames burned near scattered wreckage from the plane.
The airport’s website states that it offers corporate aviation facilities for Fortune 500 companies and several NASCAR teams.
