Pilot dies in plane crash on NC highway after crashing into tractor-trailer, reports say
A pilot died in a plane crash that involved a fiery collision with a tractor-trailer on Interstate 85 in Davidson County, multiple news outlets reported Wednesday.
The plane crash closed down highway lanes and left a vivid wreckage scene, North Carolina officials and photos confirmed.
The plane crashed near I-85 around 5:10 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 16, according to the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office. The incident happened near Hargrave Road in Lexington, near the Lexington/Davidson County Airport.
The plane was a twin-engine Beechcraft Barron plane, a spokesperson for the Federal Aviation Administration said in an email to The News & Observer.
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The driver of the tractor-trailer did not have serious injuries, according to The Lexington Dispatch.
The FAA and NTSB said they do not identify victims in aircraft accidents.
According to news outlets, the plane crashed into a tractor-trailer and was “fully engulfed” in flames, reported WGHP.
Photos posted to social media show the fiery scene, which closed down the southbound lanes of I-85 near Lexington, according to drivenc.gov.
The State Highway Patrol is investigating the crash, and the FAA said the National Transportation Safety Board will lead a federal investigation.
Southbound lanes were closed between exit 91 and exit 87 in Lexington near Cotton Grove Road around 5:30 p.m. and were expected to reopen around 11 p.m., the N.C. Department of Transportation told media outlets.
This story was originally published February 16, 2022 at 7:48 PM.
