Describe your experience of what you saw yesterday. Where were you when this plane came down? We live on *** 3rd floor apartment, and I was in the kitchen area. I heard *** big bang. So I ran out to the balcony, and then I saw the explosion. From the plain Yeah, so what was your, you know, what was your, you know, I know you said your husband was nearby, what was he doing? He was wiping off our car’s hubcaps, and our car, it was 7 cars away from where the plane hit. What was your immediate reaction when you saw this plane come down with all the pieces and things like that, and your husband being so close to it? When I saw the explosion. Along with that there was *** line of fire that went out to the left of the plain. And I thought, oh my, it’s leaking gas, and I was expecting. Some of the cars to maybe blow up from the gas right in front of them, but there were no more explosions after that. Um, I did see 3 cars that were totally burned out. Right in front of the plane and as I was watching the flames, that’s when I saw these people crawl out beside the car that the plane hit. They all crawled out on their knees, hands and knees. And then at that point I realized they were alive, and I was just kind of speechless.
Lancaster County plane crash witness says her first thought was, ‘They’re all dead’
Updated: 2:54 PM EDT Mar 10, 2025
A resident at Brethren Village talked to WGAL about what she saw and heard when a plane crashed and burst into flames in her development Sunday afternoon.Sheryn Jerchau, who did not want to be on camera, said her husband was just seven cars away from where the single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza, with five people on board, crashed into the parking lot around 3:20 p.m.”We live on a third-floor apartment and I was in the kitchen area. I heard a big bang. So, I ran out to the balcony and then I saw the explosion,” she said. “There was a line of fire that went out to the left of the plane and I thought, ‘Oh my, it was leaking gas.’ And I was expecting some of the cars to maybe blow up from the gas right in front of them.”All five passengers survived and no one on the ground was hurt. But Jerchau said when she first saw the wreckage, she thought everyone had been killed. “And as I was watching the flames, that’s when I saw these people crawl out beside the car that the plane hit. They all crawled out on their knees, hands and knees. And then at that point, I realized they were alive. And I was just kind of speechless,” she said. Jerchau said they were supporting each other and walked to the back of their building to get away from the plane, which she said was making popping noises. Jerchau and other residents helped the group until first responders arrived. She said they all looked like they were in shock.”I said to them, ‘You guys are alive. You’ll get over your injuries, you’re going to get over your burns, but you guys are alive,'” she said. “I said, ‘I believe God was with you at that moment.’ Because if you had seen the black smoke, the fire, the huge explosion, my first thought was, ‘They’re all dead.’ And then when we saw them crawl out, it just was amazing. And so all I can say, it was amazing. They’re alive.”
MANHEIM TOWNSHIP, Pa. —A resident at Brethren Village talked to WGAL about what she saw and heard when a plane crashed and burst into flames in her development Sunday afternoon.
Sheryn Jerchau, who did not want to be on camera, said her husband was just seven cars away from where the single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza, with five people on board, crashed into the parking lot around 3:20 p.m.
“We live on a third-floor apartment and I was in the kitchen area. I heard a big bang. So, I ran out to the balcony and then I saw the explosion,” she said. “There was a line of fire that went out to the left of the plane and I thought, ‘Oh my, it was leaking gas.’ And I was expecting some of the cars to maybe blow up from the gas right in front of them.”
All five passengers survived and no one on the ground was hurt. But Jerchau said when she first saw the wreckage, she thought everyone had been killed.
“And as I was watching the flames, that’s when I saw these people crawl out beside the car that the plane hit. They all crawled out on their knees, hands and knees. And then at that point, I realized they were alive. And I was just kind of speechless,” she said.
Jerchau said they were supporting each other and walked to the back of their building to get away from the plane, which she said was making popping noises.
Jerchau and other residents helped the group until first responders arrived. She said they all looked like they were in shock.
“I said to them, ‘You guys are alive. You’ll get over your injuries, you’re going to get over your burns, but you guys are alive,'” she said. “I said, ‘I believe God was with you at that moment.’ Because if you had seen the black smoke, the fire, the huge explosion, my first thought was, ‘They’re all dead.’ And then when we saw them crawl out, it just was amazing. And so all I can say, it was amazing. They’re alive.”
