Plane carrying ex-NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr crashes and bursts into flames at Tennessee airport

A plane carrying ex-racing driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his family has crashed and burst into flames at a Tennessee airport.

The former NASCAR racer and his family managed to escape after the private aircraft rolled off the runway and caught fire.

Earnhardt, wife Amy and 15-month-old daughter Isla were taken to hospital for evaluation following the crash on Thursday.

His sister Kelley Earnhardt Miller tweeted "Everyone is safe and has been taken to the hospital for further evaluation".

She said two pilots were also on board at the time of the crash at Elizabethton Municipal Airport at 3:40pm (9.40pm UK time).

Federal Aviation Administration officials said the small plane, a Cessna Citation, rolled off the runway and caught fire.

It said the preliminary indication was that two pilots and three passengers were on board.

The National Transportation Safety Board said was sending two representatives to airport to begin investigating the crash.

Carter County Sheriff's Office spokesman Thomas Gray confirmed Earnhardt was aboard and said he was not one of the pilots.

Earnhardt retired as a full-time driver in 2017 and has been working as an analyst for NBC.

He is part of the scheduled broadcast team for Saturday night's Cup Series event in Bristol, Tennessee.