Two individuals were rescued when a tiny plane crashed into a power line tower in Maryland, leaving the two occupants dangling for hours around 100 feet in the air. The collision knocked down electricity to thousands of residents in the region.
Sunday about 5:40 p.m. local time, a single-engine Mooney M20J collided with wires at Montgomery County Airpark in Gaithersburg, Maryland, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The plane got entangled in a web of power lines around 100 feet in the air and looked to be undamaged.
The passengers of the plane were identified as pilot Patrick Merkle, 65, of Washington, D.C., and passenger Jan Williams, 66, of Louisiana, by the Maryland State Police. Approximately seven hours later, the two were rescued, with Williams being hauled down from the plane first, followed shortly by Merkle.
Their conditions were unknown at the time.
Pete Piringer, a spokeswoman for the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service, stated at around 7:50 p.m. that there were no injuries aboard the jet.
Current Affairs – Gaithersburg, Maryland @MontgomeryCoMD Two unharmed passengers were on a tiny plane that crashed into powerlines and a tower plow. The plane is still hung approximately 100 feet in the air. Widespread power outages and road closures throughout the region. https://t.co/VRLGfpyFaA pic.twitter.com/3iCMW0v94j
— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) November 27, 2022
Shortly after 9 p.m., Montgomery County Fire Chief Scott Goldstein told reporters that firefighters had been attempting to make the situation safe for a rescue effort.
“There is no other way to assess if it is safe to reach the tower until it is grounded or bonded, which requires technicians to climb the wires and attach clamps or cables to guarantee there is no static electricity or residual power,” Goldstein said.
Before the two occupants can be taken down, the plane must be stabilized by attaching it to the power line tower, according to Goldstein. He stated that officials were in contact with the residents by telephone and were conducting checks on them.
The collision caused “widespread power disruptions” and traffic restrictions in the area, according to authorities.
Pepco said that around 85,000 customers were affected by the outage and stated that they are working with authorities to analyze the damage.
The utility company stated, “We have confirmed that a private jet collided with Pepco’s transmission lines in Montgomery County, resulting in an outage for roughly 85,000 customers.” We are examining the damage and collaborating closely with the Montgomery County fire and emergency services.
Due to the power outages, Montgomery County Public Schools and offices will be closed on Monday, the district stated Monday night.
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will examine the incident, with the NTSB overseeing the inquiry and giving updates, according to an FAA statement.
»Two are rescued after a small aircraft collides with power lines in Maryland«