A plane has crashed at the Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina, sparking emergency response and an ongoing investigation.
The incident occurred on Thursday, December 18, at about 10:15 a.m. local time, according to officials at the airport. Local reports say the aircraft went down while attempting to land.
Confirming the crash, the Iredell County Sheriff told local station WBTV that there were reports of fatalities, although the exact number of casualties has not yet been officially confirmed.
In a statement released shortly after the incident, Statesville Regional Airport said an aircraft was involved in an accident on the runway and that federal authorities had been notified.
“We can confirm there has been an aircraft incident at the Statesville Regional Airport,” the statement read. “At approximately 10:15 a.m., an aircraft crashed while landing. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is en route and will investigate the incident. No further details are available at this time.”
The videos circulating online showed thick smoke rising into the sky and visible from several miles away after the aircraft burst into flames. Images from the scene captured a Cessna Citation jet engulfed in fire near the edge of the runway.
The aircraft involved has been identified as a Cessna Citation C550, a jet capable of carrying between eight and ten passengers. Authorities have not yet disclosed how many people were on board at the time of the crash.
The FAA has since confirmed it will lead investigations into the cause of the accident, as emergency responders continue to manage the situation at the airport.
