By David K. Li -
NBC News
Three children were among the five Canadian citizens who perished when the small plane they were traveling in crashed near Nashville, Tennessee, authorities said Tuesday.
Air safety investigator Aaron McCarter told reporters in Nashville that exact data on the age, name and gender of the five victims of the
flight from Ontario
were not available .
Investigators observe the remains of a small plane that crashed in Nashville, Tennessee, on March 5, 2024. George Walker IV / AP
The single-engine plane fell about 60 feet (18 meters) from the eastbound lanes of Interstate 40, near Charlotte Park, a suburb of Nashville, shortly before 8:00 p.m. (local time) on Monday. , according to authorities.
In reality, the craft had flown over John C. Tune Airport at 2,500 feet, moved away briefly and was returning to that airport when it lost power, McCarter explained.
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“For unknown reasons, the aircraft descended and approached John C. Tune Airport and passed overhead at 2,500 feet,” McCarter stated.
“The pilot reported that he was going to pass over the airport at 2,500 feet.
Very shortly afterward, he said that he had experienced
a catastrophic loss of
engine power, a complete loss of power.”
The plane crashed about three miles (five kilometers) from the airport.
“We are still trying to determine why he decided to fly over the airport at 2,500 feet.
“I still don’t know,” McCarter said.
“We are at the beginning of this investigation.
Everything will come to light in the following days.”
The pilot appeared calm as he informed air traffic controllers that his ship was descending rapidly.
“I am declaring an emergency
,” he said, according to a recording on LiveATC.net.
“My engine has gone out.”
Runway 2 at John C. Tune Airport was cleared to receive the plane in trouble, but the pilot indicated that he had already descended to 1,600 feet and doubted he could reach the airport: “I'm going to land, I don't know where.”
[A woman who fell into a 15-foot-deep dry well in Arizona is rescued]
“Yes, I have it [the airport] in sight,” he continued.
“I'm too far away, I won't make it.”
The controllers, who were increasingly worried, told the pilot not to give up on reaching the airport.
“Keep the plane flying!” the tower told him.
“If you can glide there, they will clear the runway for you!”
The plane came from Ontario and had stopped in Erie, Pennsylvania, and Mount Sterling, Kentucky, before crashing, according to authorities.
It had been traveling at about 10,500 feet
for much of the journey, with no reported problems, McCarter noted.