A Gulfstream G150 registered to Jimmy Johnson Racing and carrying Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick and three others crashed Monday evening after careering off a runway at Florida's Key West International Airport. Hendrick, his wife Linda and two pilots were on board the business jet, according to a statement from Hendrick Motorsports. No one was seriously injured.
The pilots had reported the airplane’s brakes were ineffective on landing, according to press reports. The Gulfstream ran completely off the runway at approximately 7:45 p.m. A photo of the airplane showed its nose gear collapsed and one wing in the water. The runway was closed for a short time before being reopened. The National Transportation Safety Board has begun an investigation.
Johnson drives in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for Hendrick and has won the past five series titles. Hendrick was at the Martinsville Speedway in Virginia on Sunday for the Tums 500 race, where Johnson finished second.
In October 2004, a King Air owned by Hendrick Motorsports crashed in thick fog enroute to a NASCAR race at Martinsville, killing all 10 people aboard, including Hendrick’s only son, Ricky, and his brother and two nieces.
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