Airplane flying from Kentucky crashes in Nashville, 5 dead

A small airplane headed from Kentucky to Nashville crashed on Monday night, leaving five people dead. Here’s what we know about the incident:

Was there a plane crash near Nashville on Monday?

Yes. According to a post from the Metro Nashville Police Department on X, formerly Twitter, a single-engine airplane crashed near the eastbound lanes of I-40, near the Charlotte Park exit. A few hours after the initial post, the organization posted an update saying five people were killed in the crash.

The Federal Aviation Administration was at the scene, with the National Transportation Safety Board expected to arrive shortly.

When was the plane crash in Nashville? Where did it go down?

According to The Tennessean, 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.

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. It did not hit any buildings or vehicles.

What roads closed after the Nashville plane crash?

I-40 eastbound was shut down due to the wreckage. Lane closures and delays were expected to last into Tuesday morning. 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.

Where did the plane that crashed in Nashville come from?

As stated by The Tennessean, Nashville International Airport spokesperson Stacey Nickens confirmed the aircraft, a 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 pattern.

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

Were there signs that the plane would crash?

Aaron said the control tower at John 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 John Tune 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.”