Five injured after plane crashes in Pennsylvania
Photo: The site where a small plane crashed into the parking lot of a retirement community is cordoned off with police tape in Lititz, Pennsylvania/Reuters
A single-engine aircraft crashed into a parking lot near a Pennsylvania retirement community on Sunday, injuring all five people on board but causing no fatalities or ground injuries, authorities said.
The crash occurred in Manheim Township, about 137 km northwest of Philadelphia, shortly after the plane departed from nearby Lancaster Airport en route to Springfield, Ohio, officials said.
The Beechcraft Bonanza aircraft burst into flames upon impact in the parking lot of Brethren Village retirement community, damaging about a dozen vehicles. Emergency responders arrived to find the aircraft on fire, which was quickly extinguished, according to local authorities.
“All five occupants of the aircraft were transported to local hospitals with injuries of unknown severity,” Manheim Township said in a statement. “No injuries were reported on the ground.”
Manheim Township Police Chief Duane Fisher said at a press briefing that while multiple vehicles were damaged with at least five “severely damaged” the retirement community buildings were not impacted. “At no point did the plane strike any part of the structure,” Fisher said.
A temporary shelter-in-place order was issued for residents of the retirement community as a precaution but was lifted after authorities determined the site was secure.
“I don’t know if I consider it a miracle, but the fact that we have a plane crash where everybody survives and nobody on the ground is hurt is a wonderful thing,” Fisher added.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is leading the investigation into the crash and confirmed the aircraft type as a Beechcraft Bonanza. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is also expected to be involved.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said on social media that state police were on the scene and that all available Commonwealth resources were being offered to support the ongoing response.
The incident comes amid heightened public attention on aviation safety following several high-profile crashes in recent months, including a US Army Black Hawk helicopter and a commercial jet incident in Washington, D.C., earlier this year.