Two people trapped as small plane crashes into power lines in Maryland
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Two people are trapped when small plane crashes into power lines in Maryland
- A pilot and passenger are trapped in the plane, but were not injured
- The plane crashed in Gaithersburg, 15 miles northwest of Washington, DC
- Video and photos show the plane dangling 100 feet in the air from the tower
- Utility company Pepco reported that 85,000-90,000 customers are without power
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A rescue is underway for a pilot and passenger who became trapped when a small plane crashed into a live power line in a Maryland neighborhood Sunday night, causing a widespread power outage.
Poignant video captured the scene in Gaithersburg, where the plane was dangling 100 feet in the air from a power tower.
Maryland State Police identified the pilot as Patrick Merkle, 65, of Washington, DC and the passenger as Jan Williams, 66, of Louisiana. Both are reportedly unharmed on the plane as they await rescue.
According to Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service spokesman Pete Piringer, crews are on scene to rescue the individuals.
He said they are in contact with them, but added that it could be several hours before they are freed from the plane.
Crews conduct a high-angle rescue for a pilot and passenger who became trapped when a small plane crashed into live power lines Sunday night in Gaithersburg, Maryland.
Officials responded to the crash site around 5:40 p.m. in the area of Rothbury Drive and Goshen Road in Montgomery County near Gaithersburg, a small town about 15 miles northwest of Washington, D.C.
The FAA released a statement saying a single-engine Mooney M20J took off from Westchester County Airport in White Plains, New York and crashed in Gaithersburg.
The cause of the crash was not immediately clear. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are going to investigate what happened.
The small plane hovered about 100 feet (30 meters) above the ground on Sunday evening and transmission lines remained under tension, complicating rescue efforts, Piringer told local news outlets.
“Everything is still under tension at the moment,” he said.
The utility company Pepco reported that about 85,000-90,000 customers were without power in Montgomery County. Pepco said the plane came into contact with the company’s air transmission lines.
Poignant photos and video captured the scene in Gaithersburg, where the plane dangled 100 feet in the air from a power tower
The plane hovered about 100 feet above the ground and transmission lines remained under tension, complicating rescue efforts, officials said.
Officials responded to the crash in the area of Rothbury Drive and Goshen Road in Montgomery County near Gaithersburg, 15 miles northwest of Washington, D.C., around 5:40 p.m.
“The company is assessing damage and contingencies to restore service to affected customers,” a Pepco spokesperson said.
“Pepco is working closely with the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services and is awaiting on-site approval before crews can begin stabilizing the electrical infrastructure and begin restoring service.”
Montgomery County Police are asking people to avoid the area of the crash as live wires still remain.
The FAA released the following statement:
This information is preliminary and subject to change.
A single-engine Mooney M20J crashed into wires near Montgomery County Airpark in Gaithersburg, Md., around 5:40 p.m. local time today. There were two people on board. The plane took off from Westchester County Airport in White Plains, NY
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate. The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will provide additional updates.
The registration number is N201RF. On this web page you can look up the aircraft by registration number.
Neither agency identifies people involved in plane crashes.”