RALEIGH — On Wednesday, a small plane crashed at Raleigh-Durham International Airport at around 10:15 a.m., injuring a UNC Health physician and pilot.
“The Airport Authority is responding to an accident involving a general aviation aircraft near RDU’s secondary runway, 5R-23L,” the RDU Airport posted to its X account. “The airfield is currently closed for flight operations. Check with your airline for flight status. Follow RDU’s social media channels for latest info.”
The crash led to a ground stop notice which was later lifted sometime around 11:30 a.m. By that time, around 70 flights had been delayed or canceled. The flights affected were mainly Delta Airlines and American Airlines.
The single-engine Socata TBM-700 plane, owned by Medical Air Inc., departed Wilmington at 9:30 a.m. The plane serves as a transport service for UNC Health, accommodating up to six people.
According to Raleigh outlet ABC11, the plane “fell about 200-300 feet into the grass off of the secondary runway at RDU.”
UNC Health said in a statement that the plane was carrying one physician and a pilot, both hospitalized with unknown injuries.
“UNC Health has learned that one of its UNC Air Operations medical planes crashed this morning at RDU,” the organization said in a short statement on X. “The plane was carrying one physician and the pilot. Both have been taken to the hospital. We are working to gather more information.”
The FAA and NTSB will investigate the crash.
