Plane accidents are a sensitive topic in the NASCAR community, even more so after the tragic death of Greg Biffle and his family last month. And if there’s anyone who understands that, it’s Dale Earnhardt Jr.
In August 2019, Dale Jr. and his family were scared and lucky to escape. His plane crashed in Elizabethton, Tennessee, with Dale Jr., his wife Amy, their daughter and the family dog on board.
Junior was holding his 16-month-old daughter when the plane bounced twice on the runway before skidding and finally catching fire. Fortunately, there were no deaths, with three passengers suffering minor injuries. One of the pilots had opened the main cabin door far enough for everyone to escape.
Junior was on his way to the NASCAR Cup Series race weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway. After that, the plane was scheduled to continue to Texas with the rest of his family.
“It’s been a very difficult experience to go through. I try not to get involved in it, to think too much about (what’s happening to my family). Things happen for a reason. You just try to learn from it and move on,” » Dale Jr. said in an interview with Fox Sports, reflecting on the heartbreaking accident.
“I love my daughter so much and love being with her, and I can’t wait to see her grow up and experience a lot of things with her in the future. It made you realize even more. I’m just grateful and ready to move on with our lives,” he added.
The death of Biffle and his family in last month’s accident would have reminded Junior of his close shave. First speculations surrounding the Biffle tragedy suggests that an engine failure could be the cause. But in Dale Jr.’s accident, the cause was different.
According to NTSB reports, the main problem was that the pilots were unable to abort the landing after the second bounce because the thrust reversers were already engaged. This prevented pilots Jeff Milton and Richard Pope from advancing the throttles to regain altitude and attempt another landing.
Part of the landing gear collapsed and part of the right wing struck the runway as the plane bounced twice before landing a third time with only 1,000 feet of paved surface remaining.
The plane then flew through a chain-link fence before coming to rest on the side of Tennessee Highway 91. Unable to exit through an emergency hatch above the wing, Dale Jr. and his family escaped the plane before it caught fire, according to eyewitness accounts. A former member of the US Air Force, who witnessed the crash, rushed to Dale Jr.’s aid after seeing him on the ground.
