UPDATE: The plane was detangled from the power lines overnight Monday. Officials with Pepco said crews will be out at the tower most likely for "days, if not weeks" doing repairs and stabilizing the tower.
Power has been restored to 85,000 people in Montgomery County after a small plane crashed into a power line tower Sunday evening.
The plane, identified as a Mooney Mike 20P single engine plane, crashed into power lines near Rothbury Drive and Goshen Road at approximately 5:30 p.m.
The crash caused widespread power outages and road closures in the area. Montgomery County Public Schools also cancelled classes Monday because of the incident.
Two people were trapped for hours, while the plane was suspended 100 feet in the air.
According to Maryland State Police, the pilot has been identified as Patrick Merkle, 65, of Washington, D.C., and the passenger as Jan Williams, 66, of Louisiana.
Just after midnight, they were rescued from the plane with serious injuries related to hypothermia and the impact of the crash itself.
After their rescue, Pepco was able to restore power to everyone impacted and crews removed the plane.
Now crews are focusing on stabilizing the tower to restring and reconnect power lines.
Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration will continue to investigate the incident.
We have confirmed that a private plane came into contact with Pepco’s transmission lines in Montgomery County, resulting in an outage to approximately 85,000 customers. We are assessing damage and working closely with Montgomery County fire and emergency services.
— Pepco (@PepcoConnect) November 27, 2022
Update - Gaithersburg, Maryland, @MontgomeryCoMD small plane into powerlines & tower plow, suspended about 100 feet in the air, two persons on board uninjured at this time, @mcfrs on scene, Widespread power outages, some roads closed in area, https://t.co/VRLGfpyFaA pic.twitter.com/3iCMW0v94j
— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) November 27, 2022
