Shocking moment single-engine plane speeds towards earth and crashes into massive fireball along Nashville interstate killing all five people aboard

This is the shocking moment a plane burst into a ball of flames after crashing next to a Nashville interstate and killing all five people aboard. 

The single-engine plane crashed near Interstate 40 in the western part of the city around 8pm, officials said. 

A pilot had radioed a nearby airport and said they were experiencing emergency engine and power failure, according to WKRN. The pilot requested emergency approval to land, then later said they weren't going to make the runway. 

The plane crashed behind a Costco store, killing all on board. Nashville Fire Department Kendra Loney described the nature of the accident as 'catastrophic.'

A Nashville resident and former city council member, James Hollin, said he was driving along I-40 after the time of the incident. 

'My kids tried to rubber neck but couldn’t make out what it was that burned so badly. They kept saying it wasn’t a car and my mind didn’t expect it to be a plane,' he told The Tennessean. 

Video from nearby traffic cameras showed the stunning moment the aircraft zoomed past the lens,  just above the interstate. Moments later, a fireball could be seen coming from the highway.  

Police in Nashville say five people died after a small plane crashed Monday night near an interstate 

A pilot had radioed a nearby airport and said they were experiencing emergency engine and power failure, according to WKRN . The pilot requested emergency approval to land, then later said he wasn't going to make the runway 

Witnesses reported seeing the plane coming over the interstate from the north and crossing over the lanes, before hitting the grassy median. 

Nashville International Airport spokesperson Stacey Nickens said the aircraft, a C-FBWH, left Mount Sterling, Kentucky around 7:19 p.m. and was set to arrive at John C. Tune Airport in Nashville around 7:43 p.m., reported The Tennessean.

It's unclear why the small plane lost power. 

'I'd just seen this pane crash on I-40, it went down and it blew up. I thought it was a car that crashed,' said witness Dion Burnley during a Facebook live broadcast.

Transportation officials said that the eastbound lanes of I-40 were closed as crews tended to the scene.

Officials are speaking out about the tragedy, including Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell.

'Our thoughts go out to the loved ones of all those on board the single-engine aircraft that crashed near Interstate 40 this evening,' he said on X. 

'I want to thank the Metro emergency responders who were on site quickly and extinguished the fire.'

The Nashville Fire Department has said their crews extinguished the blaze without destroying evidence relevant to the crash probes. 

Authorities posted a photo of charred wreckage of the small plane in the grass along the interstate

Transportation officials said that the eastbound lanes of I-40 were closed as crews tended to the scene

Witnesses reported seeing the plane coming over the interstate from the north and crossing over the lanes, before hitting the grassy median

The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority said it was alerted to the crash, which happened three miles south of John C. Tune Airport, at 7:49pm

Authorities do not know where the plane originated from. Video captured the moment the plane burst into a fireball after hitting a grassy median 

'We are saddened by the loss of souls that were on board, but we are proud of the work that everyone is doing to stabilize this incident and to make sure that there were no additional casualties,' added Metro Fire Department Public Information Officer Kendra Loney.

Loney added there were pieces of debris from the craft loose at the scene, but officials quickly cleaned them up so that drivers could keep moving.

Despite that, traffic delays are expected to continue in the area through at least Tuesday morning. 

It's unclear who owned the plane, which was officially registered back in July of 2023. 

The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration will investigate the crash. Metro police and fire crews responded to the crash site.