Plane crashes have become a sensitive topic of late in the NASCAR community, owing to Greg Biffle’s tragic loss of life while traveling to Florida last month. And if there’s someone that understands that, it’s Dale Earnhardt Jr.
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In 2019, Dale Jr. and his family endured a similar situation, but they were fortunate enough to walk away from it. His plane crash-landed in Elizabethton, Tennessee, with Dale Jr., his wife Amy, their daughter, and the family dog on board.
At the time, Dale Jr. was holding his 16-month-old daughter when the aircraft bounced twice on the runway before skidding and eventually catching fire. No fatalities were reported, and three passengers sustained minor injuries. One of the pilots kicked open the main cabin door far enough for everyone to escape. A former member of the U.S. Air Force who witnessed the crash rushed to Dale Jr.’s aid after seeing him on the ground.
Junior was on his way to work the NASCAR Cup Series race weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway, after which the plane was scheduled to continue to Texas with the rest of his family.
Reflecting on the harrowing crash, Dale Jr. said in an interview as per Fox Sports, “It was a very tough experience to go through. I try not to get into that, think about (it happening to my family) too much. Things happen for a reason. You just try to learn from it and move on.”
“I love my daughter so much and enjoy being around her and look forward to watching her grow up and experiencing a lot of things with her going forward. That just made you realize that that much more. I’m just thankful and ready to live our lives,” he continued.
While early speculation surrounding Biffle’s tragedy suggested that engine failure may have been the cause, that was not the case in Dale Jr.’s accident. According to NTSB reports, the primary issue 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.
A portion of the landing gear collapsed, and part of the right wing struck the runway as the aircraft bounced twice before touching down a third time with roughly 1,000 feet of paved surface remaining.
The plane then plowed through a chain-link fence before coming to rest at the edge of Tennessee Highway 91. Unable to exit through an emergency hatch above the wing, Dale Jr. and his family escaped the aircraft before it caught fire, according to witness accounts.
