MANHEIM TOWNSHIP, Pa. (WHTM) — A small plane carrying five people crashed near a southern Pennsylvania airport Sunday afternoon, leaving a fiery wreck in a parking lot, authorities have confirmed.
First responders were called to the crash near the Lancaster Airport shortly after 3 p.m., according to an official with the Manheim Township Police Department.
The crashed plane was found in the parking area of Brethren Village, a retirement community just south of the airport. Nexstar’s WHTM reported seeing charred wreckage of the airplane and several cars at the scene.
Smoke from the crash could be seen from several miles away, according to WHTM. Footage shared on social media showed black smoke billowing from the wreckage of the plane and multiple vehicles engulfed in flames.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the Beechcraft Bonanza had five people aboard at the time of the crash.
Fire officials said five people were taken to area hospitals but their conditions were not immediately available. No injuries were reported by anyone on the ground.
Five vehicles were destroyed, according to authorities.
It’s unclear what caused the crash, but a recording from the airport tower suggests the pilot may have encountered a problem and reported an open door shortly after takeoff.
Governor Josh Shapiro said the Pennsylvania State Police is assisting local first responders.
“All Commonwealth resources are available as the response continues, and more information will be provided as it becomes available,” Shapiro said in a statement.
The National Transportation Safety Board told WHTM they are aware of a crash and they are “gathering information and monitoring the situation at this time.”
Flight tracking apps show a Beechcraft Bonanza took off from Lancaster Airport just after 3 p.m. bound for Springfield, Ohio. The airplane disappears from the radar display a few minutes after takeoff over an apartment complex south of the airport.
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“I feel very, very blessed that it didn’t hit any buildings at Brethren Village,” Sandy Smith, a resident at Brethren Village told WHTM. “I hope that the passengers in the airplane survive and be well.
Brian Pipkin was driving nearby when he noticed the plane climbing before it suddenly veered to the left.
“And then it went down nose first,” he told The Associated Press. “There was an immediate fireball.”
Pipkin called 911 and then drove to the crash site, where he recorded video of black smoke billowing from the plane’s mangled wreckage and multiple cars engulfed in flames in the parking lot of Brethren Village. He said the plane narrowly missed hitting a three-story building at the sprawling retirement community about 75 miles west of Philadelphia.
A fire truck from the airport arrived within moments, and more first responders followed quickly.
“It was so smoky and it was so hot,” Pipkin said. “They were really struggling to get the fire out.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
