People are dead after a small private jet crashed shortly after takeoff in Statesville, North Carolina, according to a local sheriff’s office official.
The incident took place shortly after 10:15 a.m., Iredell County Chief Deputy Bill Hamby told CNN.
The exact number of fatalities is not know at this point, he added.
“A Cessna C550 crashed while landing at Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina around 10:20 a.m. local time on Thursday, Dec. 18. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate. The NTSB will lead the investigation and provide any updates,” the Federal Aviation Administration told CNN.
CNN has reached out to the National Transportation Safety Board.
Statesville is 40 miles north of Charlotte.
“The Statesville Regional Airport provides corporate aviation facilities for Fortune 500 companies and several NASCAR teams,” according to the city website.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
