Brethren Village releases statement after fiery plane crash in Lancaster County
COVERAGE OF THE PLANE THAT CRASHED IN THE PARKING LOT OF A RETIREMENT COMMUNITY, SENDING ALL PEOPLE ON BOARD TO THE HOSPITAL. THIS HAPPENED YESTERDAY AFTERNOON IN MANHEIM TOWNSHIP, AND THAT IS WHERE WE FIND NEWS EIGHT’S JAKE REYES WITH WHAT WE’RE LEARNING ABOUT THAT CRASH STILL TODAY, JAKE. MATT AND CAITLIN. GOOD MORNING, BRETHREN. VILLAGE SECURITY JUST MOVED US AWAY FROM WHERE WE WERE EARLIER, SHOWING YOU UP CLOSE OF THAT CRASH. BUT HERE AT THIS LOCATION, I’M GOING TO STEP OUT OF THE WAY TO WHERE MY PHOTOGRAPHER IS GOING TO ZOOM IN TO. THAT IS THE TAIL END OF THE PLANE. YOU CAN STILL SEE IT OVER THERE. WHEN WE WERE THERE EARLIER, WE SAW HEAVILY DAMAGED VEHICLES AND IT STILL SMELLED LIKE FUEL IN THAT AREA. AND THERE ARE ENVIRONMENTAL CREWS OUT HERE THIS EARLY IN THE MORNING PICKING UP AFTER ANY POSSIBLE FUEL ON THE GROUND TO MAKE SURE IT DOESN’T ENTER ANY DRAINAGE SYSTEMS. AND RIGHT NOW YOU’RE LOOKING LIVE AT THE LANCASTER AIRPORT, WHERE THE PLANE TOOK OFF YESTERDAY. WE DO HAVE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL AUDIO FROM LIVE ATC LEADING UP TO THE SCENE. TAKE A LISTEN TO POWER BONANZA 347. MIKE HAS AN OPEN DOOR. WE NEED TO RETURN FOR A LANDING. PULL UP! RESCUE ONE, LANCASTER TOWER. THE AIRCRAFT IS DOWN JUST BEHIND THE TERMINAL. YOU JUST HEARD. IT APPEARS THAT A DOOR MAY HAVE BEEN OPEN, PROMPTING AN EMERGENCY LANDING. HERE’S WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR. FIVE PEOPLE WERE ON BOARD THE SMALL SIX SEATER AIRCRAFT THAT TOOK OFF FROM LANCASTER AIRPORT AT AROUND 318 ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON, AND ENDED UP NOSE DOWN WITH ITS TAIL ON A VEHICLE IN A PARKING LOT AT BRETHREN VILLAGE AND WENT UP IN FLAMES. OFFICIALS SAY THE PLANE MAY HAVE SKIDDED ABOUT 100FT AFTER IT CRASHED, AND NO ONE ON THE ON THE GROUND WAS HURT. BUT THIS MORNING WE KNOW THOSE FIVE PEOPLE THAT WERE ON THE PLANE WERE TAKEN TO LANCASTER GENERAL HOSPITAL FOLLOWING THE CRASH. A LANCASTER GENERAL HOSPITAL SPOKESPERSON SAYS TWO PEOPLE WERE FLOWN TO LEHIGH VALLEY HEALTH NETWORK BURN CENTER, AND ANOTHER VICTIM WAS TAKEN BY AMBULANCE. THE OTHER TWO PATIENTS ARE STILL AT LANCASTER GENERAL. AT NO POINT ON THE GROUND WAS ANYONE INJURED. AT NO POINT DID THE PLANE OR THE AIRCRAFT STRIKE ANY PART OF THE STRUCTURE. SO WE’RE VERY CONFIDENT THAT ALL SAFETY CONCERNS HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED AS FAR AS THE FACILITY HERE AND EVERYONE THAT LIVES HERE. AND ACCORDING TO FLIGHTAWARE, THE PLANE WAS HEADING TO SPRINGFIELD, OHIO. WE ARE STILL WAITING TO HEAR FROM THE FAA ABOUT THE OFFICIAL CAUSE OF THE CRASH. AND AS SOON AS WE KNOW, WE’LL BRING YOU UPDATES HERE ON WGAL. FOR NOW, REPORTING LIVE IN MANHEIM TOWNSHIP FOR WGAL NEWS EIGHT. ALL RIGHT. THANKS, JACOB. WE’RE ALSO HEARING FROM PEOPLE WHO WERE NEAR THE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY WHEN THE CRASH HAPPENED. THAT INCLUDES BRIAN PIPKIN. HE THINKS THAT HE WAS THE FIRST TO CALL 911 BECAUSE HE SAYS DISPATCHERS HAD NOT HEARD ABOUT THE CRASH YET. AND AS SOON AS I SAW THAT, THERE WAS A BIG PUFF OF SMOKE, BLACK SMOKE EVERYWHERE, I CALLED 911 IMMEDIATELY, THINKING THAT THEY MUST KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS HAS HAPPENED. AND APPARENTLY THEY WERE. THEY HADN’T GOT THE MESSAGE YET. SO SHE SHE ASKED ME TWICE. WAIT, YOU’RE SAYING A PLANE WENT DOWN WHERE, YOU KNOW. SO I HAD TO REPEAT THAT A COUPLE TIMES. PIPKIN SAYS THAT HIS FIRST INSTINCT WAS TO RUN TOWARD THAT SCENE TO HELP PEOPLE. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP WAS ASKED ABOUT YESTERDAY’S PLANE CRASH IN LANCASTER COUNTY. A REPORTER ASKED HIM IF THE CRASH, ONE OF MULTIPLE HIGH PROFILE ACCIDENTS OR CLOSE CALLS THIS YEAR, HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH FEDERAL WORKER FIRINGS AT THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. WELL, THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE DEPARTMENT THAT THERE WAS A SMALL PLANE AND THAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED WHETHER YOU HAD A BIG DEPARTMENT OR A SMALL DEPARTMENT, AS YOU UNDERSTAND. IT’S JUST THEY’RE IN THEY HAVE SPACE LIKE THIS, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE TIMES WHEN THINGS HAPPEN A LITTLE BIT MORE OFTEN THAN NORMAL, AND THEN IT GOES BACK AND YOU GO MANY YEARS WITHOUT HAVING A PROBLEM. AN NBC NEWS ANALYSIS OF FEDERAL DATA DOES SHOW THAT INCIDENTS AND DEATHS ON FLIGHTS HAVE NOT BEEN RISING COMPARED WITH PREVIOUS YEARS. YOU CAN FIND MORE COVERAGE OF THE PLANE CRASH ON WGAL.COM. WE HAVE MORE PICTURES AND VIDEO FOR YOU TO SEE OF THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE, AS W
Brethren Village releases statement after fiery plane crash in Lancaster County
Updated: 10:02 AM EDT Mar 10, 2025
Brethren Village in Lancaster County has released a statement after a plane crashed into their parking lot Sunday afternoon. Here is the full statement:Response to Emergency Plane Landing at Brethren VillageMANHEIM TOWNSHIP, PA – On Sunday, March 9, at approximately 3:18 PM, a plane preparing for an emergency landing crashed in the L parking lot behind the Fieldcrest building at Brethren Village. Fortunately, no residents were injured. All individuals on board the plane were transported to a local hospital for treatment. There was no damage to the Fieldcrest Building or any other Brethren Village structures.The plane came down just south of Lancaster Airport, in a parking lot at Brethren Village, near Fairview Drive in Manheim Township. While no buildings were affected, several resident vehicles sustained damage.Brethren Village residents and team members extend their thoughts and wishes to the passengers as they receive medical care.Emergency responders—including Manheim Township Police, Fire and Rescue, Fire Police, Lancaster Airport personnel, and the Lancaster County Emergency Response Team—were on-site within minutes to address the situation. No first responders were injured. Brethren Village expresses its deepest gratitude to these professionals for their swift and effective response. This location remains an active investigation site under the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The Civil Air Patrol was on-site overnight and will continue to monitor the area until the federal investigation is complete. Brethren Village extends its appreciation to the Civil Air Patrol for their service. Additionally, Brethren Village thanks the Salvation Army and Mission BBQ for their prompt response in ensuring first responders were fed and kept warm throughout the night.Due to a fuel spill from the crash, environmental evaluations are currently underway. Brethren Village is fully cooperating with the Environmental Protection Agency and other relevant environmental agencies.Residents were promptly informed of the incident and, out of an abundance of caution, were briefly directed to shelter in place. At no time were residents in danger, and Supportive Living areas remained unaffected. Brethren Village extends its deepest gratitude to our dedicated team members who responded swiftly and professionally. “BV Strong” means that it truly takes a village, and we are grateful for the strength of our community. We also sincerely thank the residents of Lancaster County for their continued support during this time. For further updates, visit the Brethren Village YouTube channel.
Brethren Village in Lancaster County has released a statement after a plane crashed into their parking lot Sunday afternoon.
Here is the full statement:
Response to Emergency Plane Landing at Brethren Village
MANHEIM TOWNSHIP, PA – On Sunday, March 9, at approximately 3:18 PM, a plane preparing for an emergency landing crashed in the L parking lot behind the Fieldcrest building at Brethren Village. Fortunately, no residents were injured. All individuals on board the plane were transported to a local hospital for treatment. There was no damage to the Fieldcrest Building or any other Brethren Village structures.
The plane came down just south of Lancaster Airport, in a parking lot at Brethren Village, near Fairview Drive in Manheim Township. While no buildings were affected, several resident vehicles sustained damage.
Brethren Village residents and team members extend their thoughts and wishes to the passengers as they receive medical care.
Emergency responders—including Manheim Township Police, Fire and Rescue, Fire Police,
Lancaster Airport personnel, and the Lancaster County Emergency Response Team—were on-site within minutes to address the situation. No first responders were injured. Brethren Village expresses its deepest gratitude to these professionals for their swift and effective response.
This location remains an active investigation site under the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The Civil Air Patrol was on-site overnight and will continue to monitor the area until the federal investigation is complete. Brethren Village extends its appreciation to the Civil Air Patrol for their service.
Additionally, Brethren Village thanks the Salvation Army and Mission BBQ for their prompt response in ensuring first responders were fed and kept warm throughout the night.
Due to a fuel spill from the crash, environmental evaluations are currently underway. Brethren Village is fully cooperating with the Environmental Protection Agency and other relevant environmental agencies.
Residents were promptly informed of the incident and, out of an abundance of caution, were briefly directed to shelter in place. At no time were residents in danger, and Supportive Living areas remained unaffected. Brethren Village extends its deepest gratitude to our dedicated team members who responded swiftly and professionally. “BV Strong” means that it truly takes a village, and we are grateful for the strength of our community. We also sincerely thank the residents of Lancaster County for their continued support during this time.
For further updates, visit the Brethren Village YouTube channel.
