A small plane carrying five people crashed into a residential area in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, on Sunday, but all passengers survived and were taken to hospitals, according to authorities. Their conditions and specific injuries were not disclosed. Manheim Township Fire Chief Scott Little confirmed that no one on the ground was hurt, though five vehicles sustained damage.
The Beechcraft Bonanza had just departed Lancaster Airport when it went down in the Brethren Village retirement community around 3 p.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
First responders arrived within three minutes and encountered multiple fires, which were fully extinguished within about three hours. Images showed the plane’s tail intact in a parking lot while the rest of the aircraft was engulfed in flames.
Initially, all five individuals were taken to Lancaster General Hospital, with two remaining there Sunday evening, while three were transferred to Lehigh Valley Health Network’s burn center. Authorities noted that the plane appeared to skid roughly 100 feet upon impact but avoided striking buildings.
Residents were advised to shelter in place as a precaution. Flight tracking data indicated the aircraft was en route to Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport in Ohio, and air traffic control recordings suggested an open door was reported shortly after takeoff. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the incident.
Manheim Police Chief Duane Fisher called it a fortunate outcome, emphasizing that despite the crash, everyone survived and no ground injuries occurred.
