Citation Latitude Crashes With Dale Earnhardt On Board American NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt, his wife, daughter, dog and two pilots all escaped with their lives when their Cessna Citation Latitude overshot the runway on arrival at Elizabethton Municipal Airport, Bristol, Tennessee. It is said the aircraft landed hard on the 4,500-foot runway (with displaced threshold 4,100-feet). The Latitude overshot the end of the runway and through the perimeter fence coming to a stop about 500-feet off the end of the runway.
The aircraft caught fire and was destroyed further as a result. Earnhardt was supposed to cover the race this weekend at the Bristol Speedway but that will not happen. "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.” The aircraft involved in the accident was registered N8JR. The National Transportation and Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the crash. For more information: Cessna Aircraft Company 1 Cessna Blvd. Wichita, KS 67215 www.cessna.com ***
