Small plane with 5 people aboard crashes in Nashville and all were killed, police say

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 pm 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 km) south of the general aviation airport.

In a statement on the social media platform X, police said five people died. It said federal authorities are investigating.