Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, April 2, 1993 TAG: 9304020206
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: BLOUNTVILLE, TENN. LENGTH: Medium
RACE CAR CHAMPION ALAN KULWICKI FEARED IN FIERY PLANE CRASH
A twin-engine turbo prop airplane believed to be carrying race car driver Alan Kulwicki crashed in flames Thursday night, officials said.Emergency management officials said they found two bodies in the plane. They said there appeared to be no survivors in the plane and no injuries on the ground.
Kulwicki won the NASCAR Winston Cup points championship last year.
"Apparently Alan Kulwicki was on the plane," said Mike Bales, president and owner of Appalachian Flying Services at Tri-Cities Airport.
"We have a young lady here with us who is waiting for Alan Kulwicki," Bales said. "She reports he called them from the aircraft telephone and said he had just departed Knoxville and to pick them up."
Dale Cannon, air traffic manager at the airport, said air traffic controllers lost radio contact with the Merlin twin-engine turbo prop airplane about 9:30 p.m.
Bales said a flight plan filed in Knoxville indicated that five people were aboard.
Bales said the plane was one of two on final approach to the airport, traveling behind a plane carrying driver Dale Earnhardt.
The plane, which can carry five or six passengers, was approaching the airport from the northeast and was about five miles out when contact was lost, Cannon said.
Joe Minor of the Bristol Lifesaving Crew said the plane went down behind some houses just off a main highway between Bristol and Blountville. He said the airplane was engulfed in flames.
Tennessee Emergency Management Agency officials in Nashville said there were witnesses on the ground.
Several NASCAR Winston Cup drivers were flying into the airport to compete in the race Sunday at Bristol International Raceway.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING FATALITY