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Nascar driver Dale Earnhardt survives plane crash in US

Footage shows the wreckage of the plane that burst into flames on the runway

A retired racing driver and his family have survived a plane crash in the US state of Tennessee.

Former Nascar driver Dale Earnhardt Jr, his wife and daughter escaped without serious injury, officials said.

The plane ran off the runaway and caught fire after landing at Elizabethton Municipal Airport at 15:40 local time (19:40 GMT) on Thursday.

Two pilots were flying the plane, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said.

Reuters A picture of a plane crash involving a NASCAR driver in TennesseeReuters
The plane careened off the runway and caught fire after landing, officials said

Video from the airport shows firefighters attempting to quell a blaze ripping through the plane, a Cessna Citation, as black smoke billows into the air.

In a tweet, Mr Earnhardt's sister said everyone on board the plane was safe.

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Mr Earnhardt, 44, was the only passenger taken to hospital, where he was treated for minor cuts and abrasions, ABC News reported.

The FAA and The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have launched an investigation into the crash.

Mr Earnhardt, a two-time Daytona 500 winner, retired from racing in 2017. He is now a Nascar commentator for NBC Sports.