A small plane was forced to land on Interstate 26 in North Carolina Thursday night near the Asheville Regional Airport.
The plane caught fire and caused a massive traffic jam on the highway.
North Carolina Department of Transportation spokesperson David Uchiyama said Interstate-26 West was “closed indefinitely at Airport Road” following the forced landing.
“According to the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, multiple people were taken to the hospital,” WLOS News 13 reports.
Here’s footage:
#BREAKING: we’re at the scene of a PLANE CRASH ON I-26. Very limited info. Not clear how many ppl are hurt. Follow me on here and Facebook for updates. @WLOS_13 #NorthCarolina #asheville pic.twitter.com/dbRUntnOhr
— Marc Liverman (@MarcLiverman) December 15, 2023
“Not clear what type of plane it was that crashed or how many people were onboard. Almost nothing left of that plane,” WLOS News 13 reporter Marc Liverman said.
Not clear what type of plane it was that crashed or how many people were onboard. Almost nothing left of that plane. pic.twitter.com/5uchqgnPLA
— Marc Liverman (@MarcLiverman) December 15, 2023
WLOS News 13 reports:
An airport spokesperson said the aircraft reported problems and said it needed assistance. It then landed on the interstate between Long Shoals and Airport roads. It’s unclear when the fire started.
The airport deployed a fire truck for mutual aid, airport officials said. Skyland Fire and Rescue, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, Asheville Police Department and Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office were on scene.
As of 7 a.m., NCDOT officials estimate the road will reopen about 8:30 a.m. Friday.
On Thursday night, dozens of motorists had passed the detour exit and were stuck in traffic for hours.
WATCH:
Apparently a plane almost crashed on me while driving on I26 in Asheville, NC pic.twitter.com/5nqV1kndHV
— Reed Timmer, PhD (@ReedTimmerUSA) December 15, 2023
I26N at Asheville, NC still closed due to plane crash until tomorrow. We may be spending the night out here in this zipper traffic jam. Officials attempting to turn around the entire lane pic.twitter.com/M7Oe1P5CGm
— Reed Timmer, PhD (@ReedTimmerUSA) December 15, 2023
Asheville Citizen Times added:
Buncombe County Emergency Services, firefighters from Skyland Fire Department and an Asheville Airport public safety officer responded to the fiery scene.
“We transported two people out of the plane crash, but there does not appear to be any life-threatening injuries,” Allen Morgan, Buncombe County on-duty EMS supervisor told the Citizen Times.
“We are mobilizing NCDOT and contract crews to examine the roadway once it is safe to do so. We will be checking to see if any repairs to the road surface need to be made and make those repairs as soon as possible,” Uchiyama told the Citizen Times just after 9 p.m. “It is far too early to even guess when I-26 West will reopen.”
Firefighters from Skyland Fire Department and an Asheville Airport public safety officer are responding to the scene.
From WLOS News 13: