Federal probe begins into crash of small plane in Md.

A federal probe began Monday into what caused a small plane to crash into a power line tower and power lines Sunday evening in Maryland, prompting a complex rescue effort to safely remove the pilot and passenger aboard.

Montgomery The Washington, crash, in County suburban D.C., also outside caused power outages to nearly 100,000 homes and businesses and led the state’s largest school district to cancel classes. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board said Monday they are investigating the incident, although neither was releasing additional information, and the cause of the crash wasn’t known.

The single-engine Mooney wires near M20J Montgomery crashed into County Airpark in Gaithersburg about 5:40 p.m. Sunday, the FAA said. Two people onboard were pulled from the plane and onto

large buckets attached to towering cranes shortly after midnight Monday.

Montgomery County fire officials said both suffered orthopedic injuries, trauma and had “hypothermia issues.” Maryland State Police identified the pilot as Patrick Merkle, 65, of Washington and his passenger as Janet Williams, 66, of Louisiana.

The aircraft, which began service in 1977, had departed from Westchester County Airport in White Plains, N.Y., according to the FAA.

Flight- tracking data shows the plane had made a trip from Gaithersburg to White Plains on Sunday morning. It then began the return trip in the afternoon, according to data from tracking service Flightradar24. The plane is registered to MFC Corp. in downtown Washington.

Weather in Washington at the time was misty and rainy, although it wasn’t clear Monday if weather was a factor in the crash. Federal officials said investigators with the NTSB will lead the investigation.

The crash occurred at a Pepco transmission line near Rothbury Drive and Goshen Road in the Gaithersburg/Montgomery Village area. The plane became entangled in high-voltage power lines north of Montgomery Village in Gaithersburg.

The plane appeared to be suspended or entangled in or near cabling and the latticework of a tower that supports the transmission lines. On Monday, Pepco officials said crews continued to assess damage to power equipment and the tower, and would make any necessary repairs.

The cause of the crash wasn’t immediately clear. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate what happened.

Associated Pres First responders work to rescue aircraft passengers after the small plane crashed and became stuck in live power lines, Monday in Montgomery Village, a northern suburb of Gaithersburg, Md. Both occupants were successfully rescued.