6 dead after private jet crashes in North Carolina

By Devon M. Sayers, Pete Muntean, Dianne Gallagher, CNN

STATESVILLE, NC (CNN) — Six people have died after a small private jet crashed shortly after takeoff in Statesville, North Carolina, a source briefed on the crash tells CNN.

The crash happened shortly after 10:15 a.m., Iredell County Chief Deputy Bill Hamby told CNN.

Preliminary information indicates the six people killed in the crash — were a pilot and five others — a source briefed on the crash tells CNN. A federal source with knowledge of the crash tells CNN a person associated with NASCAR was on board the plane that crashed.

“A Cessna C550 crashed while landing at Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina around 10:20 a.m. local time on Thursday, Dec. 18. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate. The NTSB will lead the investigation and provide any updates,” the Federal Aviation Administration told CNN.

A witness who works at the airport told CNN she saw the plane on fire after the crash.

“My desk faces where it happened. I was just sitting here, and then I heard a loud boom, and our hangar shook a little. I got up to look and that’s when I saw the flames and fire everywhere,” said Victoria, who works for an aviation company and asked to be identified only by her first name due to privacy concerns.

The NTSB investigating the crash is expected to arrive later tonight and hold a media briefing tomorrow, according to a post on X.

At a short news conference this afternoon, local authorities shared little information about the crash. We have “no information on any cause,” said airport manager John Ferguson.

Statesville Regional Airport, about 45 miles north of Charlotte, is an uncontrolled airport with no control tower. Pilots are required to self-report their position on and near the airport using a common radio frequency.

The airport remains closed, according to the airport manager.

Emergency crews were still on the runway near the crash site shortly after 1:30 p.m., a CNN team observed.

Preliminary flight tracking data shows a Cessna Citation 550 left Statesville Regional Airport around 10 a.m. from runway 10, traveled about five miles, then made a near-immediate left turn back toward the airport. The plane did not climb higher than 2,000 feet, according to FlightAware.

Low clouds, light rain, and visibility of less than three miles were reported about 80 minutes after the crash, according to an automated weather station at the airport. It is not clear if these conditions were present when the plane crashed.

“The Statesville Regional Airport provides corporate aviation facilities for Fortune 500 companies and several NASCAR teams,” according to the city website.

CNN’s Caroll Alvarado contributed to this report.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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