A small plane with two people on board was hanging approximately 100 feet above the ground Sunday night after it struck a high-voltage transmission line outside of Gaithersburg, Maryland, authorities said.
The two were not injured and were communicating with first responders as they awaited rescue, the Maryland State Police said in a statement.
Authorities told a news conference that rescuing them will be difficult because the power line must be tested in person to make sure it doesn’t harm first responders or the two on board the plane.
“There’s no other way to determine if the tower is safe to access until it’s grounded or bonded, which means crews have to climb up the wires themselves to put clamps or wires on the wires and then make sure they’re safe.” there’s no static electricity, there’s no residual power,” Montgomery County Fire Chief Scott Goldstein said at the news conference.
No estimated time to rescue was given; Goldstein was hopeful with the arrival of specialized teams that deal with the transmission equipment, as well as with the expected response of more first responders.
The Mooney M20J single-engine plane was reported about 4 miles northwest of the Montgomery County Air Park around 5:40 p.m., according to troops and the Federal Aviation Administration. The area is home to the Montgomery Village community.
“Arriving soldiers found the aircraft suspended in the air, entangled in a power line pylon,” state police said in the statement.
They identified the pilot as Patrick Merkle, 65, of Washington, DC, and the passenger as Jan Williams, 66, of Louisiana. The plane took off from the Westchester County Airport in White Plains, New York, the FAA said in a statement.
Officials said about 120,000 utility customers in the area were without power. Pepco, Potomac Electric Power Co., said in a statement that its crews responded to the crash site and are working with authorities to expedite rescue and restore power.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.
The intersection below the plane, Rothbury Drive and Goshen Road, was closed as the rescue operation continued Sunday night.
lindsey pipia, Michelle Acevedo, Caryn Littler, jay blackman Y Clara Secrist contributed.