Pilot and Passenger Rescued After Being Suspended From Power Lines for Hours Following Plane Crash

A pilot and passenger have both been rescued after spending several hours dangling from power lines following a plane crash.

Per a report from WTOP News, the crash occurred Sunday evening in the Montgomery County area of Maryland. The crash ultimately caused tens of thousands residents to lose power, although service was later confirmed by Pepco to have been largely restored in those areas.

In an initial statement, Maryland State Police said that the plane involved in the crash was a single-engine craft piloted by 65-year-old Patrick Merkle of Washington, D.C. Janet Williams of Louisiana, 66, was simultaneously identified as the passenger on the small plane.

In a subsequent update, additional info was provided, with police stating that the first dispatch occurred just before 6:00 p.m. local time on Sunday. Upon arrival, troopers found the small plane was “suspended in the air” after having crashed into a power line tower and becoming entangled in the wires.

Merkle and Williams were ultimately rescued just before 1:00 a.m. local time, meaning they spent more than six hours suspended in the air. According to police, both individuals were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

When reached for comment by Complex on Monday, a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rep confirmed that the agency would be investigating the crash alongside the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), with the latter set to lead the investigation.

“A single-engine Mooney M20J crashed into wires near Montgomery County Airpark in Gaithersburg, Md., around 5:40 p.m. local time Sunday,” the FAA rep said via email. “Two people were on board. The aircraft departed from Westchester County Airport in White Plains, N.Y.”

A rep for the NTSB, meanwhile, confirmed only that it would be investigating the crash when reached by Complex.