(Newser)
– Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s escape from a plane crashed with his family last year was more dramatic than he had imagined, according to new details released by the National Transportation and Safety Board. Earnhardt, a NASCAR television analyst and retired driver, was with his wife Amy, their 15-month-old daughter Isla, two pilots and the family dog when his Cessna Citation Latitude crashed, according to the AP. In a preliminary report, NTSB investigators said part of the landing gear collapsed and a section of the right wing hit the runway when the plane bounced twice before landing a third time with approximately 1,000 feet of paved surface remaining. The plane went through a wire fence before stopping at the edge of Tennessee Highway 91. Earnhardt and the two pilots were unable to open the emergency exit door over the wing after the plane stopped, according to the report.
“As they tried to open the rear exit door, smoke was coming out of the bathroom,” the report said. “Sir. Earnhardt reported that he told Mr. Melton to test the door to the main cabin. At this time the fire was now visible in the bathroom.” Melton then opened the main cabin door just enough to get out. “Earnhardt then handed his daughter, who was in his arms, to the pilot, and then each one squeezed the opening,” which was about the size of a conventional oven, according to the report. Witness Cheryl Campbell entered the scene and told the NTSB that she encountered a man without a uniform who was “fighting and not walking.” It was Earnhardt. “She tried to get up and couldn’t and was asking if her wife and son were out and well,” Campbell wrote. “I assured him that he had checked on his wife and son and that they were both fine. I also told her that her dog was fine when she asked. “
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