5 killed after small plane crashes near Tennessee highway

Police in Nashville say that five people have died after a small plane crashed Monday night near an interstate highway, shutting down multiple lanes.

The pilot made an emergency call to John C. Tune Airport around 7:40 p.m., reported engine trouble and was given clearance to make an emergency landing, Metro Nashville Police Department spokesman Don Aaron said. A short time later the pilot radioed that the aircraft would not reach the airport, he said.

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The plane burst into flames when it crashed in a grassy median just off Interstate 40 and behind a Costco on the city’s westside. The crash scene was about 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) south of the general aviation airport.

“It appears that everyone on board perished,” Aaron said.

There were no injuries to drivers on the interstate, Nashville Fire Department spokesperson Kendra Loney said. Authorities said no vehicles or buildings on the ground were damaged.

Aaron didn’t have information on where the plane came from.

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The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration will investigate after Metro first responders ensure the accident scene is safe, the airport authority said.