Dale Earnhardt Jr., wife, daughter on plane that crashed in Tenn.
Posted August 15, 2019 5:17 p.m. EDT
Updated August 15, 2019 5:48 p.m. EDT
Elizabethton, Tenn. — Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s plane crashed Thursday afternoon at an airport near Johnson City, Tenn., according to NBC affiliate WCYB. Earnhardt was taken to a nearby hospital, but his condition was unknown.
The retired NASCAR driver's sister, Kelley Earnhardt, tweeted that Dale, his wife and daughter were on the plane along with two pilots.
"Everyone is safe and has been taken to the hospital for further evaluation. We have no further information at this time. Thank you for your understanding," she wrote.
Federal Aviation Administration officials said a Cessna Citation rolled off the end of a runway and caught fire after landing at Elizabethton Municipal Airport at 3:40 p.m. Thursday. FAA officials said the preliminary indication is that two pilots and three passengers were aboard.
Carter County Sheriff's Office spokesman Thomas Gray confirmed Earnhardt was aboard but said he wasn't one of the pilots.
Earnhardt retired as a full-time racer in 2017 and has been working as an analyst for NBC. He is part of the scheduled broadcast team for Saturday night's Cup Series event in Bristol, Tennessee.