Authorities said a small plane crashed into a transmission tower in Maryland Sunday, knocking out power to about 85,000 customers as rescuers raced to rescue two people on the stranded plane. at about 100 feet above the ground.
Pete Piringer, a spokesman for the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Department, said the pilot and passenger, who authorities did not name, did not appear to be seriously injured.
He said authorities contacted two people as the plane dangled from power lines and towers.
Piringer said the pilot and passengers flew to Montgomery County Airpark, an airport near Gaithersburg, Md., about 40 miles west of Baltimore. The Federal Aviation Administration said the single-engine Mooney M20J aircraft departed from Westchester County Airport in White Plains, NY, on Sunday.
The cause of the crash is still unknown, which occurred in Montgomery Village, Md., around 5:40 p.m. and was posted on social media by residents and officials with unusual photos. Photos and videos show the plane entangled in power lines and seemingly suspended in the air in a jumble of metal.
At 7:30 p.m., Mr. Piringer said crews were still trying to reach and rescue the two. The first step, he said, would be to turn off the power.
Mr Piringer said: “Once the power is out, we will be able to go up there and get them. I don’t know how they’re going to do that.”
Pepco, the energy company in Maryland affected by the accident, said on Twitter that “pending field clearance before crews can begin work to stabilize the electrical infrastructure and begin restoring service.”
Mr Piringer said power outages caused by the crash had led to problems such as a stalled elevator and broken traffic lights on Sunday night.
