Plane crashes in parking lot of Lancaster County retirement community, injuring five people
Updated: 10:17 AM EDT Mar 10, 2025
501, I SAW THIS PLANE COME DOWN AT AN ANGLE AND AS IT HIT, THE BIG FIREBALL SHOT UP AS HIGH AS THE AS HIGH AS THE BUILDING. AND THEN BLACK SMOKE AND FIRE ALL OVER THE PLACE. THIS MORNING, THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD, BOTH INVESTIGATING A SMALL PLANE CRASH IN LANCASTER COUNTY. THIS HAPPENED YESTERDAY AFTERNOON IN MANHEIM TOWNSHIP AFTER TAKING OFF FROM THE LANCASTER AIRPORT. AND WE CAN GIVE YOU A LIVE LOOK AT THAT AIRPORT RIGHT NOW. PRETTY QUIET DARK THERE. THAT IS WHERE THE PLANE STARTED ITS JOURNEY, THOUGH, YESTERDAY. JAKE REYES IS LIVE AT BRETHREN VILLAGE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY IN LANCASTER COUNTY. WITH WHAT WE’RE LEARNING ABOUT THE CRASH THAT HAPPENED RIGHT BEHIND YOU, JAKE. WELL, MATT AND KAYLYN, AFTER EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED HERE, IT’S STILL SMELLS LIKE FUEL IN THE PARKING LOT OF BRETHREN VILLAGE. AND I’M GOING TO STEP OUT OF THE WAY SO YOU CAN TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT’S LEFT AFTER THIS CRASH. THERE’S THE TAIL END OF THAT PLANE OVER THERE, AND OBVIOUSLY IT’S BLOCKED OFF WITH SOME TAPE. BUT THERE’S ALSO HEAVILY DAMAGED VEHICLES GOING FURTHER DOWN THAT WAY. AFTER THIS INFERNO. AND WE DO HAVE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL AUDIO FROM LIVE ATC MOMENTS LEADING UP TO THE SCENE. TOWER BONANZA 347 MIKE HAS AN OPEN DOOR. WE NEED TO RETURN FOR A LANDING. PULL UP RESCUE ONE LANCASTER TOWER. THE AIRCRAFT IS DOWN JUST BEHIND THE TERMINAL AND YOU JUST HEARD IT. IT APPEARS THAT A DOOR MAY HAVE BEEN OPEN, PROMPTING AN EMERGENCY LANDING. HERE’S WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR. FIVE PEOPLE WERE ON BOARD. THE SIX. THE SMALL SIX SEATER AIRCRAFT THAT TOOK OFF FROM LANCASTER AIRPORT AT AROUND 318 ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND ENDED UP NOSE DOWN WITH ITS TAIL ON A VEHICLE IN A PARKING LOT AT BRETHREN VILLAGE, AND WENT UP IN FLAMES. AND OFFICIALS SAY THE PLANE MAY HAVE SKIDDED ABOUT 100FT AFTER IT CRASHED. NO ONE ON THE GROUND WAS HURT, BUT THIS MORNING WE KNOW THOSE FIVE PEOPLE THAT WERE ON THE PLANE WERE TAKEN TO LANCASTER GENERAL HOSPITAL FOLLOWING THE CRASH, LANCASTER GENERAL HOSPITAL SPOKESPERSON SAYS TWO PEOPLE WERE FLOWN TO LEHIGH VALLEY HEALTH NETWORK’S BURN CENTER, AND ANOTHER VICTIM WAS TAKEN BY AMBULANCE. THE OTHER TWO PATIENTS ARE STILL AT LANCASTER GENERAL. AT NO POINT ON THE GROUND WAS ANYONE INJURED. AT NO POINT DID THE PLANE OR THE AIRCRAFT STRIKE ANY PART OF THE STRUCTURE. SO WE’RE VERY CONFIDENT THAT ALL SAFETY CONCERNS HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED AS FAR AS THE FACILITY HERE AND EVERYONE THAT LIVES HERE. DO YOU HAVE AND ACCORDING TO FLIGHT AWARE, THE PLANE WAS HEADING TO SPRINGFIELD, OHIO BEFORE THIS CRASH. WE ARE STILL WAITING TO HEAR FROM THE FAA ABOUT THE OFFICIAL CAUSE OF THIS CRASH AND WILL BRING YOU LIVE UPDATES HERE ON WGAL. FOR NOW, I’M JAKE REYES, REPORTING LIVE I
Plane crashes in parking lot of Lancaster County retirement community, injuring five people
Updated: 10:17 AM EDT Mar 10, 2025
A plane crashed into a Lancaster County retirement village parking lot Sunday afternoon, leaving multiple people injured and sparking a fire that engulfed nearby vehicles.The plane came down just south of the Lancaster Airport in the parking lot of Brethren Village in the Fieldcrest Building. That’s in the area of Fairview Drive and Meadowview Court in Manheim Township. There were five people on board the plane. All five were initially taken to Lancaster General Hospital. Three of those patients have been transported to Lehigh Valley Burn Center — two were airlifted and one was taken by an ambulance. Two remain at Lancaster General, according to a hospital spokesperson.DevelopmentsMonday morning the FAA released its preliminary findings about the crash. You can read that here.Brethren Village released a statement saying none of their residents were hurt, but some did lose their cars in the fire. The full statement is here.A reporter asked President Donald Trump about the crash, one of multiple high-profile accidents or close calls this year, and whether it had anything to do with federal worker firings at the Department of Transportation. The president said there was not a connection. NTSB and FAA investigations are underway.Plane nearly hit three-story buildingWhile the five people on board the aircraft suffered injuries, no one on the ground was hurt. No buildings were hit.At a news conference in the wake of the crash, Manheim Township Police Chief Duane Fisher was asked if he thought the result of the crash was a miracle, he said:”I don’t know if I consider it a miracle, but the fact that we have a plane crash where everybody survives and nobody on the ground is hurt is a wonderful thing.”Video from the scene showed smoke wafting from at least four vehicles in the parking lot. You can see that below.Hazmat was called to the scene to contain any hazardous materials. Open door?The pilot could be heard telling air traffic control they needed to return because a door was open. They were cleared to land. Shortly after that, air traffic control could be heard telling the pilot to pull up and the plane crashed.Flight detailsAccording to Flight Aware, the plane had taken off from Lancaster Airport around 3:30 p.m. and was headed to Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport in Ohio.According to Flight Aware, there were five people on board. It was a private Beechcraft airplane, which is a six-seater aircraft.What is Brethren Village?Brethren Village bills itself as a community with “flexible retirement living with floor plan choices, private cottages and apartments.”The non-profit sits on 153 acres of land. The community is open to people who are 62 and older.Plane crash summaryA plane crashed Sunday afternoon in the parking lot of Brethren Village, a retirement community in Lancaster County.Crash occurred near the Lancaster Airport, close to Fairview Drive and Meadowview Court in Manheim Township.Crash caused a fire that spread to nearby vehicles but did not damage any buildings.Five people were on board the plane. All were hospitalized.No one on the ground was hurt.The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) investigating incident.Route 501 near the crash site was closed for hours. It has since reopened.Get breaking news alerts sent to your phoneiPHONE: Download the WGAL app in the App Store.ANDROID: Download the WGAL app on Google Play.
MANHEIM TOWNSHIP, Pa. —A plane crashed into a Lancaster County retirement village parking lot Sunday afternoon, leaving multiple people injured and sparking a fire that engulfed nearby vehicles.
The plane came down just south of the Lancaster Airport in the parking lot of Brethren Village in the Fieldcrest Building. That’s in the area of Fairview Drive and Meadowview Court in Manheim Township.
There were five people on board the plane. All five were initially taken to Lancaster General Hospital. Three of those patients have been transported to Lehigh Valley Burn Center — two were airlifted and one was taken by an ambulance. Two remain at Lancaster General, according to a hospital spokesperson.
Developments
- Monday morning the FAA released its preliminary findings about the crash. You can read that here.
- Brethren Village released a statement saying none of their residents were hurt, but some did lose their cars in the fire. The full statement is here.
- A reporter asked President Donald Trump about the crash, one of multiple high-profile accidents or close calls this year, and whether it had anything to do with federal worker firings at the Department of Transportation. The president said there was not a connection.
- NTSB and FAA investigations are underway.
Plane nearly hit three-story building
While the five people on board the aircraft suffered injuries, no one on the ground was hurt. No buildings were hit.
At a news conference in the wake of the crash, Manheim Township Police Chief Duane Fisher was asked if he thought the result of the crash was a miracle, he said:
“I don’t know if I consider it a miracle, but the fact that we have a plane crash where everybody survives and nobody on the ground is hurt is a wonderful thing.”
Video from the scene showed smoke wafting from at least four vehicles in the parking lot. You can see that below.
Hazmat was called to the scene to contain any hazardous materials.
Open door?
The pilot could be heard telling air traffic control they needed to return because a door was open. They were cleared to land.
Shortly after that, air traffic control could be heard telling the pilot to pull up and the plane crashed.
Flight details
According to Flight Aware, the plane had taken off from Lancaster Airport around 3:30 p.m. and was headed to Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport in Ohio.
According to Flight Aware, there were five people on board. It was a private Beechcraft airplane, which is a six-seater aircraft.
What is Brethren Village?
Brethren Village bills itself as a community with “flexible retirement living with floor plan choices, private cottages and apartments.”
The non-profit sits on 153 acres of land.
The community is open to people who are 62 and older.
- A plane crashed Sunday afternoon in the parking lot of Brethren Village, a retirement community in Lancaster County.
- Crash occurred near the Lancaster Airport, close to Fairview Drive and Meadowview Court in Manheim Township.
- Crash caused a fire that spread to nearby vehicles but did not damage any buildings.
- Five people were on board the plane. All were hospitalized.
- No one on the ground was hurt.
- The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) investigating incident.
- Route 501 near the crash site was closed for hours. It has since reopened.
