A small plane crashed into a power transmission tower in Maryland on Sunday night, trapping passengers for hours while hovering nearly 100 feet in the air. The collision, which occurred about 40 miles southwest of Baltimore, forced power outages throughout Montgomery County.
The crash happened around 5:30 p.m. ET, causing the plane to crash into a tower near Rothbury Drive and Goshen Road, according to Pete Piringer, public information officer for the county fire department. Both the plane and its passengers remained stuck in the sky until 8pm on Sunday.
“The power lines are still powered, so we’re waiting for the utility company to shut it down,” Piringer told NPR. “Then we’ll be able to get them out of there.”
Piringer, who said the fire department was in contact with the plane’s pilot, as well as “one or two passengers” still trapped, said the crash was causing power outages across the county. It’s not clear how many people were affected by the outage, but statewide, about 80,000 customers were without power as of 8 p.m. Sunday, according to a news release. PowerOutage.us. Officials have also closed roads around the area as a technical rescue team waits to act.
In footage posted on Piringer’s Twitter account about an hour after the crash, the plane is seen stuck between power lines as fire trucks surround the area.
Gaithersburg, MD . plane crash https://t.co/aeT9pFAFdU
– Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) November 27, 2022
Due to a power outage, some traffic lights and elevators in the area are no longer working. Some residents are reporting flashing lights.
