A single-engine airplane carrying five people crashed and burst into flames Saturday in the parking lot of a retirement community near a small airport in suburban Pennsylvania. Remarkably, everyone on board survived, according to officials and witnesses.
The fiery crash occurred around 3 p.m. just south of Lancaster Airport in Manheim Township, police Chief Duane Fisher reported during an evening briefing. All five individuals were transported to hospitals in unknown condition, but thankfully, nobody on the ground was harmed.
Brian Pipkin, who was driving nearby, witnessed the small plane as it climbed before suddenly veering to the left. “And then it went down nose first,” he recounted to The Associated Press. “There was an immediate fireball.” After calling 911, Pipkin drove to the crash site, where he recorded video of thick black smoke billowing from the plane’s wreckage and multiple cars engulfed in flames in the parking lot of Brethren Village. He noted that the plane narrowly missed a three-story building at the sprawling retirement community located about 120 km west of Philadelphia.
A fire truck from the airport arrived within minutes, followed by more first responders. “It was so smoky and it was so hot,” Pipkin described. “They were really struggling to get the fire out.” Chief Fisher stated that a dozen parked cars were damaged in the incident.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that five people were aboard the Beechcraft Bonanza during this alarming incident. Audio from air traffic control captured the pilot reporting that the aircraft had “an open door, we need to return for a landing.” An air traffic controller cleared the plane to land before urging, “Pull up!” Moments later, it was reported that the aircraft was “down just behind the terminal in the parking lot street area.” The FAA announced an investigation into the crash.
This tragic event follows a recent incident where seven people lost their lives when an air ambulance burst into flames after crashing onto a busy street in Philadelphia.
