Small plane crashes near Nashville interstate and 5 people aboard were killed, police say

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Five people aboard a single-engine plane died when the aircraft crashed near an interstate highway in Nashville, Tennessee, authorities said.

The pilot made an emergency call to John C. Tune Airport around 7:40 p.m. Friday, reported engine trouble and was given clearance to make an emergency landing, Metro Nashville Police Department spokesman Don Aaron said. A short time later the pilot radioed that the aircraft would not reach the airport, he said.

The plane burst into flames when it crashed in a grassy median just off Interstate 40 and behind a Costco on the city’s westside. The crash scene was about 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) south of the general aviation airport.

“It appears that everyone on board perished,” Aaron said.