5 injured but 'everybody survives' after small plane crashes in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
MANHEIM TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- Officials are investigating after a small plane went down on Sunday near a retirement village in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
According to authorities, all five passengers onboard were rushed to local hospitals. Luckily, no one on the ground was hurt.
The six-seater plane, which was en route to Springfield, Ohio, crashed around 3 p.m., according to the FAA, which said it would investigate.
Thick black smoke and raging flames filled the air after a Beechcraft Bonanza crashed shortly after taking off from Lancaster Airport.
"Obviously, they had heavy fire upon arrival from the aircraft and had to extinguish it," explained Fire Chief Manheim Township Fire, Scott Little.
Out of caution, Brethren Retirement Village issued a shelter-in-place order. The plane luckily did not crash into any buildings.
"All of a sudden, you hear the sirens all over and the police coming, and then we walked out and saw the smoke over there and we saw the plane so burnt and the people on the stretchers," recalled Brethren Village resident Joyce Nelson.
Twelve cars were damaged due to the crash.
"At no point was anyone on the ground injured [and] at no point did the plane or aircraft strike the structure," noted Duane Fisher, the Chief of Police for Manheim Township.
Officials said the plane skidded roughly 100 feet after making impact with the ground.
According to audio from Air Traffic Control, the pilot told the Lancaster Airport control tower that his plane "has an open door we need to return for landing."
ATC then cleared the plane to return, but a few seconds later, the controller told the plane to "pull up," the audio revealed.
In a matter of seconds, the plane crashed. Witnesses on the ground could see something was wrong.
"I could just tell that it was struggling. It wasn't lifting off, it wasn't taking up. It was kind of just a steady float, like gliding, and I instantly knew it was going to crash," one witness described.
Officials are now waiting to hear from federal partners regarding the next steps while acknowledging the crash could have been more catastrophic.
"I don't know if I consider it a miracle, but the fact we have a plane crash where everybody survives and nobody on the ground is hurt is a wonderful thing," said Chief Fisher.
Three of the patients were transported to Lehigh Valley Health Network's burn center. Two other victims, who were being treated at Lancaster General Hospital, were discharged Sunday night.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro posted a statement on X saying, "Our team at @PAStatePolice is on the ground assisting local first responders following the small private plane crash near Lancaster Airport in Manheim Township. All Commonwealth resources are available as the response continues, and more information will be provided as it becomes available."
NTSB said they do not have immediate plans to send an NTSB investigator but will be looking into the pilot, aircraft and operating environment.
A preliminary report is expected within 30 days.
The crash comes about a month after seven people were killed when an air ambulance burst into flames after crashing onto a busy Philadelphia street.
