Dale Earnhardt Jr. Taking Weekend Off After Fiery Plane Crash

ELIZABETHTON, TN — Investigators were on the scene Friday probing the wreckage of a private plane carrying race-car driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., his wife and their baby daughter after it crashed in Tennessee and caught on fire but the family and the two pilots flying the jet escaped relatively unscathed.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, a Cessna Citation rolled off the end of the runway and caught on fire after landing Thursday at Elizabethton Municipal Airport in Tennessee.

An FAA spokeswoman told Patch that five people were onboard, including two pilots and three passengers. Video from the crash showed thick smoke coming from the scene. Kelley Earnhardt, Earnhardt Jr.'s sister, said on Twitter that her brother, his wife Amy and 1-year-old daughter Isla were on the plane along with two pilots.

"Everyone is safe and has been taken to the hospital for further evaluation," Kelley Earnhardt said. "We have no further information at this time. Thank you for your understanding."

Kelley Earnhardt later thanked everyone in a tweet for offering support.

Earnhardt Jr. was taken to the hospital following the crash. Injuries on the plane were described as cuts and abrasions, according to ESPN. The athlete texted an ESPN reporter saying that he and his family are OK. Earnhardt Jr. has since been released from the hospital.

Earnhardt, who retains notoriety as one of the sport's most popular drivers, retired as a NASCAR cup series driver at the end of the 2017 season. In 2018, he came out of retirement for an Xfinity series race on Richmond raceway. He is currently a NASCAR analyst for NBC Sports.

"We're incredibly grateful that Dale, his wife Amy, daughter Isla, and the two pilots are safe following today's accident," NBC Sports said in a statement. "After being discharged from the hospital, we communicated with Dale and his team, and we're all in agreement that he should take this weekend off to be with his family. We look forward to having him back in the booth next month at Darlington."

Earnhardt was born in Kannapolis, North Carolina, and lives in Mooresville, North Carolina. He is the son of Dale Earnhardt Sr, who was killed in a raccecar crash in 2001 at Daytona International Speedway.

The plane that crashed in Tennessee Thursday was registered out of Mooresville, North Carolina.

The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the probable cause of the crash.

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