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Rick Hendrick Plane Crash

November 1, 2011 by · Comments Off on Rick Hendrick Plane Crash 

Rick Hendrick Plane CrashRick Hendrick Plane Crash, NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick returned home on Tuesday, a day after he broke a rib and shoulder when their plane skidded off the runway in Key West, Florida
Hendrick Motorsports said the brakes failed when the Gulfstream G150 landed at Key West International Airport on Monday night. The aircraft is jointly owned by Jimmie Johnson and shuttles normally five times NASCAR champion and defend his family and career.

“As everyone is aware, there was a brake problem with the landing of the airplane,” said Johnson. “All four on board are well and are back home in Charlotte. We are beyond thankful that everything went well with the accident and had no major injuries there. It was certainly a frightening event can only imagine.”

Hendrick, his wife, Linda, and both drivers were released from Lower Keys Medical Center Tuesday morning and returned to Charlotte. Linda Hendrick suffered minor cuts and bruises. Both drivers were unhurt.

The plane apparently veered off the runway of 4,800 meters and stopped over a safety area 600 feet of land that had been added in May.

“Had we not done that, probably would have been a different story,” said airport director Peter Horton the safety area is meant as a space invaded the track.

The incident report from the FAA a list of the damage to the aircraft as undetermined. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.

Hendrick is the most successful team owner in NASCAR, golf cars and Johnson, four-time champion Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Mark Martin. The team has just celebrated his 199th career victory in the Sprint Cup.
In 2004, a plane owned by Hendrick crashed en route to a race in Martinsville, Virginia, killing all 10 on board. Including Hendrick’s son, Ricky, his brother and twin nieces.

Photographs of the crash show the plane nearly intact and with the nose resting on the ground about 20 meters in front of a chained fence of the airport boundary.

Johnson said he spoke with Hendrick on Tuesday.

“It’s been a long night for him, he’s trying to relax a little and just touch base and I know he’s fine,” said Johnson. “It’s nice to hear your voice and hear him say he is fine and well and Linda is also with the drivers.

“We have a lot of answers at this time. There are plenty of really good people, smart work to get answers to these questions so we can all understand what happened exactly.”

NASCAR driver Greg Biffle emerged unscathed from this year, when his plane right main landing equipment failed and the wing hit the runway during landing at Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, Kentucky

Biffle’s team owner, Jack Roush, has survived two plane crashes, including one last year in Wisconsin where he lost his left eye.

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