Piper Cherokee Crashes Near Bowie, Maryland, Killing Three After Departing Ocean City

A single-engine Piper Cherokee crashed in Bowie, Maryland, killing three people late Saturday night after departing from Ocean City, New Jersey.

“3 killed when private plane crashes into Maryland woods: Officials The single-engine Piper Cherokee had taken off from Ocean City, New Jersey”

ABC News

Maryland State Police said the plane was en route to Montgomery County Air Park when it went down around 11:30 p.m. in a wooded area near a residential neighborhood off Scarlett Oak Court.

ABC News

Prince George’s County Public Safety Communications received an iPhone crash alert indicating a crash in the area of Route 50 and 301, prompting a ground and aerial search.

The aircraft was located early Sunday morning at approximately 3:45 a.m., and the pilot and two passengers were pronounced dead at the scene by emergency medical service personnel.

Investigators said no injuries were reported on the ground, and the cause was being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration.

Maryland State Police spokesperson Elena Russo said authorities were alerted to the crash by an iPhone crash alert and that investigators had "The only thing we have is that iPhone crash alert."

Russo told reporters, "It could have been even worse because of the proximity of the crash was literally right next to a town home community in Bowie," as multiple agencies searched the area.

DC News Now

The search involved the Prince George’s County Fire Department, Maryland State Police College Park Barrack, Anne Arundel County Police and Aviation, Bowie City Police, and the Prince George’s County Police Department.

WTOP reported that the debris covered about 100 feet in a wooded area behind a fence very close to a townhome community behind a playground.

The NTSB said it would document the site, examine the aircraft, request air traffic communications, radar data, and weather reports, and obtain maintenance records, pilot medical records, and flight history.

Officials said investigators believe the aircraft belongs to a local flight school in Montgomery County and that police believe the plane may have been participating in a training flight.

The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration have been notified and are leading the ongoing investigation into what led to the crash.

WTOP reported that the NTSB dispatched an official from its area field office expected to arrive Sunday, with additional information expected Monday.

ABC News said the names of those who perished were being withheld pending notification of relatives, and Maryland State Police said three bodies were recovered from the aircraft’s wreckage.

In the meantime, officials told residents to expect a large emergency response while investigators remained on scene, and WTOP’s Dan Ronan said the Piper Cherokee is commonly used in training and is "frequently flown, very safe."