All 10 on NASCAR team plane die in crash

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Report: All 10 on NASCAR team plane die in crash

Hendrick Motorsports aircraft was en route to race in Virginia
Monday, October 25, 2004 Posted: 0202 GMT (1002 HKT)

Search and rescue personnel gather at a staging area in preparation for the search of the Hendrick Motorsports plane crash site.

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(CNN) -- All 10 people aboard a twin-engine plane owned by stock car racing team Hendrick Motorsports were killed Sunday when the plane crashed outside Martinsville, Virginia, according to a nearby funeral home.

The plane left Concord, North Carolina, about 12:30 p.m. bound for Martinsville, where NASCAR's Subway 500 was being run, FAA spokeswoman Arlene Murray said.

The Beech 200 went down in rough terrain in the Blue Ridge Mountains about seven miles west of Martinsville, Highway Patrol spokesman Paul Knipple said.

Hendrick driver Jimmie Johnson won the race Sunday afternoon but skipped his appearance at Victory Lane, NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter told reporters.

Hendrick also owns cars driven by Brian Vickers, Jeff Gordon and Terry Labonte.

"We don't have a lot of details at the moment, but we're going to say an extra prayer for everyone in the Hendrick organization at this time," Hunter said.

He said the racing crew was not told about the crash until after the race.

The FAA, the National Transportation Safety Board and Virginia authorities were investigating the crash, Hunter said.

Harry Litten, manager of Moody Funeral Service in nearby Stuart, Virginia, said the bodies were still at the site, where investigators were working.

http://edition.cnn.com/2004/US/10/24/nascar.plane.crash/index.html

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posted 25th October 2004 08:10
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Hendrick Motorsports officials have confirmed that an airplane owned by the organization was reported missing and downed today. The craft was en route to Martinsville, Va., from Concord, N.C.

The following is a full list of passengers:

Randy Dorton, Hendrick Motorsports engine director
John Hendrick, Hendrick Motorsports president
Jennifer Hendrick, daughter of John Hendrick
Kimberly Hendrick, daughter of John Hendrick
Ricky Hendrick, son of Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick and owner of two NASCAR teams
Joe Jackson, sponsor representative
Scott Lathram, employee of NASCAR driver Tony Stewart
Elizabeth Morrison, co-pilot
Richard Tracy, pilot
Jeff Turner, Hendrick Motorsports general manager.

Hendrick Motorsports asks that those affected be kept in your thoughts and prayers, and respectfully requests that privacy be considered throughout this difficult time

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What a loss for NASCAR !

Before and after Sunday's crash, planes diverted from Blue Ridge Regional Airport to Danville because of fog.

By Mike Allen
981-3149
The Roanoke Times
[email]mike.allen@roanoke.com[/email] 981-3149

The Hendrick Motorsports plane that crashed Sunday in Patrick County, killing all 10 aboard, wasn't the only aircraft to attempt unsuccessfully to land at Blue Ridge Regional Airport in Henry County that day.

At least 20 planes carrying NASCAR-related personnel or race fans originally headed for the Henry County airport landed instead at Danville Regional Airport. The pilots missed their first approaches at Blue Ridge Regional Airport because of the weather, said Mike Rembold, manager of General Aviation Inc., the company in charge of day-to-day operations at the Danville airport.

The planes thwarted by the foggy weather arrived "before the accident and even after the accident," Rembold said Tuesday.

According to National Transportation Safety Board officials, the Beech 200 King Air plane owned by Hendrick Motorsports tried to land at Blue Ridge Regional Airport using instruments but didn't succeed. The plane began the procedure for another attempt.

Moments later, about 12:30 p.m., it crashed into the side of fog-shrouded Bull Mountain in Patrick County.

The victims were Ricky Hendrick, 24, son of Hendrick Motorsports chief executive officer Rick Hendrick; John Hendrick, 53, Rick Hendrick's brother and president of Hendrick Motorsports; Jennifer Hendrick and Kimberly Hendrick, 22-year-old twin daughters of John; Jeff Turner, general manager of the team; Randy Dorton, 50, chief of the company's engine program; Scott Lathram, 38, helicopter pilot for NASCAR driver Tony Stewart; Joe Jackson, a DuPont executive; and company pilots **** Tracy, 51, and Liz Morrison, 31.

The passengers were on their way to the Nextel Cup race at Martinsville Speedway.

The NTSB investigation at the crash site continued Tuesday. Investigators have not concluded what caused the crash, but could have preliminary findings next week.

NTSB spokesman Terry Williams said that federal investigators still need to collect data from the scene and interview witnesses.

Afterward, the charred remnants of the plane probably will be brought down from the mountain, possibly by helicopter, and stored at a hangar.

The Associated Press

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20 years 7 months

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NASCAR is hardly heard of in England, but I've seen the enthusiasm for it in the U.S. and I can see what a terrible loss this is. Very sad.

Did anyone notice that D!ck Tracy was the pilot?