MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Maryland — Two people are lucky to be alive after their plane crashed into high-voltage electrical lines in a small Maryland community.
It happened yesterday evening in Montgomery County.
According to Emergency Management Officials, the small passenger plane became entangled in the electrical lines shortly after 5:30 p.m.
The plane remained suspended hundreds of feet above the ground for several hours. In order to save the pilot and his passenger, the power was turned off for more than 80,000 people in the county.
Patrick Merkle, 65, of Washington, D.C., and Jan Williams, 66, of Louisiana, were rescued by crews shortly before 1 a.m. this morning.
The state police released a statement regarding the incident, saying, “Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are conducting the investigation. Members of the Maryland State Police Criminal Enforcement Division are assisting with the investigation. There are no signs of criminal activity or foul play at this time.”