Pilot who died when his plane crashed into truck in North Carolina is identified as 43-year-old Army reservist

Raymond John Ackley is survived by his wife and three sons

The pilot who died when his plane crashed into a tractor-trailer on a North Carolina highway has been identified as a 43-year-old Army reservist and father of three.

Raymond John Ackley’s twin-engine Beechcraft Barron plane went down and struck the vehicle on the I-85 South near Davidson County Airport at around 5.30pm on Wednesday, according to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol. He died at the scene and the truck driver was injured.

Ackley’s prestigious military career was confirmed by a spokesman for the North Carolina National Guard, which he joined in January 2009 after serving in the Michigan National Guard for four years.

He was deployed to Kuwait in December 2011 and was station there until April 2012, when he was sent to Afghanistan through October of that year.

He went on to reach the rank of captain and was awarded eight medals and ribbons, including the Meritorious Service Medal, according to the Charlotte Observer.

Raymond John Ackley was killed when his plane crashed into a tractor-trailer in North Carolina on 16 February 2022 (Courtesy of North Carolina National Guard)

Ackley left the Guard to join the Army Reserve in 2014, and was active at the time of his death.

“He did well,” the Guard spokesman, Major Matthew Boyle, said. “He served honorably. By all accounts, he was a good officer.”

Ackley is survived by his wife and three sons aged 11, six and five months. A GoFundMe page was set up for his family to help cover funeral costs.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the circumstances of the crash, but initial evaluations suggest that the plane was taking off from the airport runway when the incident occurred.

Beechcraft Barron plane went down and struck a tractor-trailer on the I-85 South near Davidson County Airport at around 5.30pm on Wednesday (WRAL News)

The tractor-trailer was overturned during the crash, but the driver reportedly only suffered minor injuries and was being treated in a hospital in Winston-Salem.

“Apparently it was having some problem in takeoff,” said witness Donald Holt Sr of the plane in the crash, reported WRAL.com. “My wife said, ‘The plane is kinda low.’ I said, ‘Yes, it is.’”

The husband and wife saw the tail of the crashed plane and the tractor-trailer on its side: “Both were on fire,” said Holt. “As we got a little further, we saw a bunch of smoke – white smoke and black smoke.”

Parts of the aircraft covered the I-85 following the crash and traffic was backed up for hours as emergency crews put out fires and cleared the wreckage.