07 March 2024 , 15:33
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A young family of five from Canada have been identified as the victims killed in a 'catastrophic' fiery plane crash after the aircraft went down along a Nashville highway.
Victor Dotsenko, his wife Rimma and their three children Emma, Adam and David, from King Township, all died when their single-engine plane crashed near Interstate-40. Victor, who was piloting, told air traffic controllers he could see the runway they were clearing for an emergency landing.
The dad was desperately trying to land the small aircraft after the plane reportedly suffered an engine shutdown, said Canada's King Township Mayor Steve Pellegrini. Moments before the plane crashed, Victor said: "I'm going to be landing - I don't know where!"
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The twisted remains of the plane by the Nashville highway (WJHL)National Transportation Safety Board investigator Aaron McCarter said it is too early to know what caused the crash. Investigators do not yet know the pilot’s qualifications or how many flight hours he had, but his experience is one of the things they will be investigating.
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The children's school, UMCA Rich Tree Academy, posted a heartbreaking tribute to the children. It read: "These beautiful children lit up our hallways every day. They all had such a positive energy and attitude towards friends and teachers. Words cannot express the profound sadness and grief we are experiencing as we mourn the loss of the Dotsenko family."
The pilot radioed air traffic controllers at around 7.40 p.m. Monday reporting that his engine had shut down. He said he had overflown John C. Tune airport, just west of downtown, at 2,500 feet and had circled around in an attempt to land, according to a recording of their radio transmissions.
Investigators examine the wreck (AP)They cleared runway two at the airport, and urged him to glide the plane down. But the plane had already descended to 1,600 feet (488 meters) by then, he said.
“I’m too far away. I’m not going to make it,” he said. That was the last they heard from the plane, which dropped off radar as it lost altitude.
The plane crashed as Matthew Wiser was driving on the interstate, and he posted a photo of the fiery wreckage on social media.
“I saw an airplane essentially crash out of the sky, fall out of the sky, and hit the ground at around a 45 degree angle,” Wiser said in a phone interview. “When it hit the ground, there was a 30 to 40 foot explosion of fire. And all of the traffic on the interstate stopped and kind of processed what they saw.”
An online tribute to the family (umcaschooll/Instagram)
All five died in the fiery wreckAir traffic controllers then directed a helicopter crew to survey the approach to the airport in search of the plane, while keeping other aircraft out of the emergency area. Within minutes, a flood of emergency vehicles were speeding to the scene, Wiser said.
They discovered that the plane burst into flames in the grass, just off the highway and behind a Costco on the city’s west side, about 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) south of the general aviation airport. There were no injuries to drivers on the interstate, Nashville Fire Department spokesperson Kendra Loney said. Authorities said no vehicles or buildings on the ground were damaged.
The flight originated in Ontario and made stops along the way that were likely to refuel, including in Erie, Pennsylvania, and Mount Sterling, Kentucky, McCarter said. Before the pilot radioed in the emergency, the plane had been on a normal flight track with no mechanical irregularities reported while it flew in from the Kentucky airport, McCarter added.
Emergency services at the scene (SmartWay)The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating. McCarter said they packed up the wreckage for transport to a facility in Springfield, Tennessee, where the plane will be reassembled.
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Investigators do not know why the pilot decided to circle the airport before the crash, he said. He mentioned that the plane’s approach was perpendicular to the interstate when it hit the ground. The NTSB will have a preliminary report out in about 10 days. The full report will take about nine months.
In a statement, Pellegrini said: "On behalf of King Township, I extend our deepest condolences to the families and friends of the Dotsenko family from our community who tragically lost their lives in the small plane crash in Nashville, Tennessee. This is a heartbreaking and devastating loss for our tight-knit community.
"While we await further details from the ongoing investigation, our thoughts and prayers are with the loved ones of the victims during this incredibly difficult time. We also extend our gratitude to the first responders and officials involved in the response and investigation."