Plane carrying 5 people crashes near Pennsylvania airport; FAA opens investigation
Plane carrying 5 people crashes near Pennsylvania airport; FAA opens investigation
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Common flight maneuvers that might feel unsettling but are normal
Here are three surprising flight maneuvers that feel dangerous but are completely safe.
Five people on board a small airplane that crashed into the parking lot of a retirement community in southern Pennsylvania on Sunday survived and were taken to hospitals, authorities said.
The plane went down at about 3:18 p.m. in the parking lot of Brethren Village, a retirement community in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, about 70 miles east of Philadelphia, according to the Federal Aviation Administration and local officials. The FAA confirmed that five people were on the plane, a Beechcraft Bonanza, when it crashed.
The five people survived the incident and were transported to local hospitals, Manheim Township Fire Chief Scott Little said at a news conference. He did not provide details on the condition of the pilot and passengers.
No structural harm occurred on the Brethren Village property but at least a dozen cars caught on fire or sustained damage due to the incident, according to Little.
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"We are now transitioning to a recovery and an investigation phase, and we are awaiting additional information from our federal partners on next steps," Little said.
The fire chief added that the plane had departed from the Lancaster Airport, just north of Brethren Village, before the crash happened.
Footage and images shared on social media showed black smoke coming from the wreckage of the plane and multiple nearby vehicles engulfed in flames. According to local TV station WGAL, several ambulances and medics had responded to the scene.
In a statement on social media, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said state police were 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," the governor added.
The FAA said it will investigate the crash. The incident comes after a devastating mid-air collision between a military Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines commercial plane outside Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in January as well as a string of plane accidents that have occurred across the country in recent weeks.
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