Business jet crash kills multiple people at North Carolina airport

UPDATED: Dec 19, 2025 01:29 IST

A business jet crashed on Thursday at Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina, erupting in a massive fire and killing multiple people, authorities said.

“I can confirm there were fatalities,” Iredell County Sheriff Darren Campbell said, declining to specify the number of victims.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the aircraft, a Cessna C550, went down while attempting to land at the airport, located about 45 miles north of Charlotte. The airport is frequently used by NASCAR teams and Fortune 500 companies for corporate aviation.

Witnesses described moments of fear as the jet flew unusually low before crashing. Golfers at the nearby Lakewood Golf Club said they watched in shock as the plane passed overhead, with some dropping to the ground moments before impact. Debris from the crash littered the club’s ninth hole.

“We were like, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s way too low,’” said Joshua Green of Mooresville. “It was scary.”

Flight tracking data from FlightAware showed the jet had taken off from Statesville shortly after 10 a.m. before turning back and attempting to land.

The aircraft had been scheduled to fly later from Sarasota, Florida, to the Bahamas before returning to Florida and then back to North Carolina, the Associated Press reported.

Video aired by WSOC-TV showed first responders racing onto the runway as flames burned near scattered wreckage.

The Transportation Safety Board and the FAA have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash. AccuWeather reported light drizzle and cloud cover in the area at the time, though officials have not said whether weather played a role.

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