Plane Crash at North Carolina Airport Leaves Fatalities 

Fatalities have been reported after a plane crashed at Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina on Thursday.

Local media outlet WBTV quoted the Iredell County Sheriff as confirming that the aircraft went down at the airport earlier in the day. The airport authorities said the crash occurred at about 10:15 a.m. local time while the plane was attempting to land.

In a statement, Statesville Regional Airport confirmed the incident and said an investigation has been launched.

“We can confirm there has been an aircraft incident at the Statesville Regional Airport,” the statement read. “At approximately 10:15 a.m., an aircraft crashed while landing. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is en route and will investigate the incident. No further details are available at this time. Updates will be provided as information becomes available.”

The aircraft involved was identified as a Cessna Citation jet, which was seen engulfed in flames to the right side of the runway. The Cessna C550 model typically has a seating capacity of between eight and 10 passengers, though the exact number of people on board at the time of the crash has not yet been confirmed.

Videos from the scene show thick smoke rising and visible from miles away as the aircraft burst into flames upon impact.

The FAA is expected to lead the investigation into the cause of the crash.