Five people were hurt after a small plane crashed in the parking lot of a retirement community in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, officials said. Officials provided updates on the crash during a press conference early Sunday evening.
Five people were hurt after a small plane crashed in the parking lot of a retirement community in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, officials said.
The plane -- described as a single-engine, six-seater 1981 Beechcraft Bonanza A36TC with five people on board and the tail number N347M -- departed the Lancaster Airport around 3 p.m. Sunday and was headed to Springfield Beckley Municipal airport in Ohio, according to FlightAware.
In audio obtained by NBC10, the pilot of the plane tells the air traffic controller that the door to the aircraft is open and he needs to return for landing.
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After the air traffic controller responds, the pilot tells him that he can't hear him due to the wind and that he's going to return to land. The air traffic controller then tells the pilot that one of the runways is cleared for landing. About 13 seconds later, the air traffic controller tells the pilot to "pull up." A little less than a minute later, the air traffic controller reports to "Rescue 1" that the aircraft is down.
As first reported by NBC10 affiliate WGAL News, the small plane ultimately crashed into the parking lot of Brethren Village -- a retirement community on Fairview Drive and Meadowview Court in Manheim Township -- at 3:18 p.m. The crash site is less than a mile away from Lancaster Airport.
“I would say from our initial look, it appears that it may have skidded approximately 100 feet after it made contact with the ground,” Manheim Township Police Chief Duane Fisher said during a Sunday evening press conference.
All five people on board the plane were injured in the crash and taken to local hospitals. Officials have not yet revealed their conditions.
Footage from WGAL shows first responders gathered in the parking lot as well as heavy smoke, at least two badly damaged and burned out cars and what appears to be a part of a small plane. Video from witnesses also showed heavy flames and smoke moments after the crash.
Chief Fisher said about a dozen vehicles in the parking lot were damaged in the crash. No one on the ground was hurt however and no buildings were damaged, according to officials.
Investigators said police and other first responders arrived at the scene of the crash within minutes and firefighters were able to place the flames under control.
When asked if the door of the plane being open played a role in the crash, officials would not answer during Sunday's press conference. Both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the incident.
"We are now transitioning to a recovery and an investigation phase," Manheim Township Fire Chief Scott Little said. "And we are awaiting additional information from our federal partners on next steps."
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro released a statement on the crash on the social media platform X.
Our team at @PAStatePolice is on the ground assisting local first responders following the small private plane crash near Lancaster Airport in Manheim Township.
— Governor Josh Shapiro (@GovernorShapiro) March 9, 2025
All Commonwealth resources are available as the response continues, and more information will be provided as it…
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