A single-engine aircraft crashed on a busy road in Chattanooga, Tennessee, after experiencing sudden engine failure, the Chattanooga Fire Department (CFD) announced.
The accident took place on November 19, 2024, at 17:51 local time during the evening rush hour on high-traffic Shallowford Road, which is half a mile (approximately 0.8 kilometers) from Chattanooga Airport (CHA).
The aircraft, a Cessna 172 Skyhawk owned by Crystal Air and registered as N951JA, took off from CHA Airport at 17:41 local time. The aircraft only flew for 11 minutes, covering 17 miles (approximately 27 kilometers) before the crash, according to FlightAware data.
On November 20, 2024, the CFD shared on X that “two people are very lucky to be alive after this single-engine plane crash”.
Two people are very lucky to be alive after this single-engine plane crash on busy Shallowford Rd in Chattanooga during the evening rush hour Tuesday. Reportedly, the engine went out & the plane went down about a 1/2 mile from the nearby airport runway. pic.twitter.com/LbgVlxc15I
— Chattanooga Fire Department (@ChattFireDept) November 20, 2024
The aircraft, which can be seen severely damaged, crashed because of engine failure, according to the CFD.
In a separate statement from November 20, 2024, CFD officials reported that one person was already outside the aircraft when firefighters arrived, while another had to be rescued.
“Firefighters cut pieces of metal and removed a portion of the plane to free him from the wreckage as the aircraft was simultaneously stabilized by our crews,” the CFD officials said. “Both individuals were transported to the hospital with what appeared to be minor injuries.”
The fire department reported that the aircraft avoided traffic and crashed on the side of the road near the intersection of Shallowford Road and Airport Road.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) arrived at the crash site to begin an investigation.