https://www.wral.com/story/mayday-mayday-crashed-airplane-shuts-down-interstate-near-asheville-2-people-on-board/21196431/A highway near Asheville remains closed Friday after a small plane crashed Thursday night.
According to the FAA, a single-engine Diamond DA-40 crashed on Interstate 26 near Asheville Regional Airport around 8:15 p.m. The plane was about 3 to 4 miles north of the Asheville airport.
Two people were on board. WRAL News is working to learn who was on board, the extent of their injuries and what led up to the crash.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation said I-26 could be closed until 11 a.m. on Friday. A detour is in place. Fire officials said the plane made an emergency landing on the highway and burst into flames. The pilot said the plane was having trouble as he communicated with air traffic control moments before the crash.
The pilot talked to the ground tower in Asheville, describing the plane having problems with an oil leak and requesting assistance. He was around 4 miles away from the airport when the pilot realized he wasn't going to make it all the way to the airport and was going to glide on in.
"Mayday, mayday," said the pilot in an audio of that radio traffic from the LiveATC.net. "Looks like, honestly, with our best glide we're probably not going to make it, so if there's anything else nearby you see that may get us some upflow, let us know."
