Authorities Reveal How NASCAR Legend Dale Jr. Made a Miraculous Escaped in an Airplane Crash Last Year
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Authorities Reveal How NASCAR Legend Dale Jr. Made a Miraculous Escaped in an Airplane Crash Last Year
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Back in August 2019, Dale Jr. and his family were in a plane crash in Tennessee. Luckily, the former driver, his wife, daughter, and dog escaped unscathed.
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Nearly a year later, the National Transportation Safety Board revealed some new information, in the form of photos and investigative documents.
According to them, the crashed Cessna had no engine issues nor any other failures. As it turned out, the plane bounced twice on the runway before it skidded off the tarmac and caught fire.
Luckily, the pilots were alert and helped everyone escape. In addition, an ex U.S. Air Force member rushed in to help after witnessing the crash.
The organization released some investigative documents and indicated that the investigation was nearly done. Apparently, the fiery crash meant that Earnhardt’s back sustained a minor injury.
What was Dale Earnhardt Jr. doing at the time?
The Hall of Famer was on his way to the Bristol Motor Speedway for a Cup Series race and he was heading to Texas. Documents revealed that the plane approached the runway a little too quickly and the pilots could not abort the landing.
Pilot, Richard Pope admitted that the approach was, “maybe a little fast”. He carried some speed because he believed that the airplane, “slows down so easy”. Unfortunately, he underestimated the speed, and the result was disastrous.
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According to him and co-pilot Jeff Melton, they usually wait until the airplane slowed on the ground. Once that happens, they engage the thrust reversers in order to slow down the aircraft.
However, he suspected that they accidentally deployed the thrust reversers too quickly.
On the third touchdown, the plan had its brakes on, however, it skidded to the right and failed to slow down. The pilots also suspected that the right main landing gear collapsed and the right wing tip hit the runway.
As per the flight crew, evacuation took around 2-3 minutes, especially considering that the door would not budge. Then, things started to go wrong, as heavy smoke emanated from the lavatory.
Outside the aircraft, a 25-year Air Force veteran, Cheryl Campbell witnessed the accident while driving. According to her, “He repeatedly asked about his wife and daughter and seemed not to understand or hear, however, I assured him each time trying to calm him.”
Amazingly, Earnhardt shrugged off the harrowing incident and raced at the Darlington Raceway, where he finished 5th.
