LEXINGTON, N.C. — A pilot from Charlotte died Wednesday when his plane crashed into a tractor-trailer on a North Carolina interstate, authorities said.
The plane collided with the vehicle on the southbound lane of Interstate 85 in Lexington, WGHP-TV reported.
The North Carolina Highway Patrol said the twin-engine Beechcraft Baron aircraft took off from the Davidson County Airport before crashing into the back of the vehicle, WFMY-TV reported. The impact caused a fire and killed pilot Raymond John Ackley, 43, the television station reported. Troopers said the plane experienced a possible mechanical issue after leaving the airport.
'Pure shock': Eyewitness to fatal plane crash on I-85 in Davidson County describes scene https://t.co/PP1uCZd9Nx pic.twitter.com/VHO2zcX5KZ
— FOX8 WGHP (@myfox8) February 17, 2022
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the crash occurred at about 5:35 p.m. EST, WXII-TV reported. The tractor-trailer drove off the road after it was hit and overturned, the television station.
The driver of the tractor-trailer, Barrin Lamont Davis, 41, of Concord, was taken to an area hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening, according to WFMY-TV.
A 2019 Ford truck was also damaged in the crash, WGHP reported.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash, with the NTSB taking the lead on the case, the television station reported.
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