(CNN) As the crashed plane began to fill with smoke, one of Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s pilots kicked open the main cabin door wide enough for the NASCAR legend and his family to escape to safety, according to a trove of documents released this week by the National Transportation Safety Board. Both Earnhardt and the pilots told NTSB investigators that it seemed the right landing gear collapsed during a hard landing. Earnhardt also tried to get the rear hatch open. He told pilot Jeff Melton to try the cabin door again. According to a statement from Earnhardt and his wife to accident investigators, there was heavy smoke coming from the bathroom and flames were visible.

Source: CNN July 18, 2020 04:07 UTC