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(Nashville, TN) - Metro Nashville Police confirm that five people are dead after a small plane crashed along Interstate 40 in West Nashville Monday night.
Metro Nashville Police spokesperson Don Aaron says the plane suffered engine failure shortly before it crashed at mile marker 202 on I-40 at about 7:45 p.m.
Plane wreckage closed I-40 eastbound lanes and closures and delays were expected to last into Tuesday morning.
Officials say the pilot reported engine problems and requested an emergency landing at John Tune Airport.
Nashville Fire Department spokeswoman Kendra Loney says witnesses told authorities the plane imploded on impact. She described the crash as "catastrophic."