A pilot was killed when his plane crashed on a highway in the US after suffering mechanical issues during take off.
The small aircraft had only travelled a mile from Davidson County Airport in North Carolina when it came down on Interstate 85, causing a fireball seen for miles.
It is believed the aircraft, identified as a Beechcraft Baron, collided with a vehicle hauling a trailer driving south.
The pilot, named locally as Raymond Ackley, 42, was killed while the lorry driver, Barrin Davis, was treated for minor injuries.
The State Highway Patrol said the plane may have experienced a mechanical issue.
Witnesses reported seeing a fireball rising from the ground as the plane collided with the vehicle.
Video footage from the scene showed the rig on its side next to the tail section of the small aircraft.
Witness Donald Holt Sr said: “Apparently it was having some problem in takeoff
"My wife said, 'The plane is kinda low.' I said, 'Yes, it is.'
“As soon as we got right over the highway, we saw the tail of the plane and we saw the tractor-trailer learning on its side and both were on fire.
“As we got a little further, we saw a bunch of smoke — white smoke and black smoke."
"The flames were coming. It was too hot [and] it was too dangerous to get close to it.”
Charred pieces of debris was strewn across the road, which was closed for a number of hours
The National Transportation Safety Board is due to start an investigation into what caused the plane to crash.
The tragedy comes just days after another plane crashed off the coast of the US state on Sunday.
Coastguard search parties have found the remains for all passengers who had been onboard at the time, including four high school teenagers aged 15 and 16.
Capt. Matt Baer, sector commander, Sector North Carolina, said: “Our deepest sympathies are with the Down East community.”
The plane is believed to have been returning from a hunting trip before disaster struck midflight.
An investigation into the tragedy is underway.
