What to Know
Two people were left stranded in the crumpled aircraft 100 feet from the ground. Authorities were talking to them throughout their rescue efforts. 120,000 people were without power in Montgomery County, according to fire authorities.Montgomery County Public Schools and Montgomery College campuses will be closed Monday due to the massive power outage.
A small plane with two people aboard slammed into a power transmission tower in Montgomery County, Maryland, on Sunday evening, authorities said. Two people were left stranded in the crumpled aircraft 100 feet from the ground and the crash left large swaths of the county without power.
The single-engine Mooney M20J plane crashed into PEPCO electricity transmission wires near Goshen Road and Rothbury Drive in Gaithersburg around 5:40 p.m., the FAA and Montgomery County authorities said.
The pilot and passenger were not hurt but are stuck in the plane that is wedged into the transmission tower, authorities said.
In an update Sunday night, Montgomery County fire Chief Scott Goldstein explained what the rescue would entail.
“There is no other way to determine if it’s safe to access the tower until it is grounded, or bonded,” Goldstein said. “Crews have to go up to the wires themselves to put clamps or cables onto the wire to then ensure that there’s no static electricity, no residual power… as well as the vibration of the airplane, securing the airplane to the tower structure.”
He said the aircraft would likely not be stable until it’s “chained and strapped” in place, and it must be stable before rescuers attempt to extricate the people inside.
“We are taking measured and risk-balanced steps to approach this activity,” Goldstein continued.
The fire department urged the community to stay away because the area is very dangerous.
Authorities said they are in communication with the two people on board, but are trying to conserve the battery on the cellphones they’re using. They are checking in with them regularly.
The aerial lines are still live, authorities said. The collision, however, damaged a transmission system, leaving 120,000 customers without electricity, PEPCO said. Transition systems move bulk power to distribution substations, which then deliver power to customers.
The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) said about 125 traffic signal lights were without power as of 11:15 p.m., and reminded drivers to treat the non-functioning signals as an all-way stop.
Montgomery County Public Schools said its schools and offices would be closed due to the outage. Montgomery College also closed all of its campuses and locations.
The FAA said the plane departed the Westchester County Airport in White Plains, New York. The intended destination was Montgomery Airpark, the fire department said.
This is a developing story. Refresh for updates.
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