The aircraft got stuck in the power lines, suspended high up in the air
© Twitter / mcfrsPIO
A small plane with two people on board crashed into an electricity pylon, causing widespread power outages in Gaithersburg, Maryland on Sunday night.
Authorities have managed to contact the pilot and passenger of the plane, confirming that both of them are alive following the incident that happened around 6:15pm local time.
Police have closed off the area and urged residents to stay away, warning that some of the wires were still live. About an hour later, first responders were still working to rescue the victims, who got stuck in the power lines dangling around 30 meters (100 feet) in the air.
“We have a man in contact with them, they seem to be OK at this time. However they are in a very precarious situation due to the fact that they are dangling about 100 feet up and everything is still energized,” a spokesperson for Montgomery County’s Fire & Rescue Service, Pete Piringer, said in a video he recorded at the scene.
Update – Gaithersburg, Maryland, @MontgomeryCoMD small plane into powerlines & tower plow, suspended about 100 feet in the air, two persons on board uninjured at this time, @mcfrs on scene, Widespread power outages, some roads closed in area, https://t.co/VRLGfpyFaApic.twitter.com/3iCMW0v94j
— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) November 27, 2022
The incident left tens of thousands of homes without electricity throughout the northern parts of Montgomery County, the Potomac Electric Power Company has confirmed.
Gaithersburg, MD plane crash https://t.co/aeT9pFAFdU
— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) November 27, 2022
“We have confirmed that a private plane came into contact with Pepco’s transmission lines in Montgomery County, resulting in an outage to approximately 85,000 customers,” the utility said in a tweet.
“We are awaiting clearance to the scene before crews can begin work to stabilize the electric infrastructure and begin restoring service,” the company added.
A small plane has crashed into power lines in the area of Rothbury Dr & Goshen Rd, taking out power to parts of the county.@mcfrs is on scene. PLEASE AVOID THE AREA, as there are still live wires. #MCPD#MCPNews
— Montgomery County Department of Police (@mcpnews) November 27, 2022
