"The Iredell County, North Carolina, sheriff confirmed there were fatalities but did not identify who was onboard the plane, which erupted into a large fire when it crashed upon returning to the airport in Statesville shortly after takeoff Thursday morning. The airport is 45 miles north of Charlotte, the home of most NASCAR teams. Golfers playing next to the airport were shocked as they witnessed the disaster, even dropping to the ground at the Lakewood Golf Club while the plane was overhead. The ninth hole was covered with debris."
"The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA were investigating. AccuWeather said there were drizzle and clouds at the time of the crash. The plane took off from the airport shortly after 10 a.m. but then returned and was attempting to land there, according to tracking data posted by FlightAware.com. The plane had been scheduled to fly later from Sarasota, Florida, to Treasure Cay International Airport in the Bahamas before returning to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and then to Statesville by evening, data showed."
"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. The tragedy in North Carolina adds to the list of plane crashes this year around the world, including the plane-helicopter collision that killed 67 in Washington, the Air India crash that killed 260 in India, and a crash in Russia's Far East that claimed 48 lives. Fourteen people, including 11 on the ground, died in a UPS cargo plane crash in Kentucky."
A business jet registered to a company run by retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffle crashed upon returning to Statesville airport, erupting into a large fire. Six people were aboard and the Iredell County sheriff confirmed fatalities without identifying those onboard. Flight tracking showed the plane took off shortly after 10 a.m., returned, and was attempting to land when it crashed. AccuWeather reported drizzle and clouds at the time. The NTSB and FAA opened investigations. Golfers at a nearby Lakewood Golf Club witnessed the low-flying plane and debris. The aircraft had been scheduled for later flights including Sarasota to the Bahamas and a return to Fort Lauderdale.
Read at ESPN.com
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