Multiple injuries reported after Lancaster County, Pa., plane crash at Brethren Village
Multiple medics and ambulances on the scene near Lancaster Airport
HAPPENED AND WHAT YOU’VE BEEN LEARNING THIS EVENING. WELL, TONIGHT, MCKENNA, THE PARKING LOT HERE AT BRETHREN VILLAGE ALONG ROUTE 501, IN MANHEIM TOWNSHIP, LANCASTER COUNTY, IS STILL CORDONED OFF. AS YOU CAN SEE, THAT PLANE IS STILL SITTING THERE, ALONG WITH A NUMBER OF BURNED OUT VEHICLES. AND I CAN TELL YOU THERE IS A STRONG ODOR OF FUEL IN THE AIR. THERE WAS A HUGE EMERGENCY RESPONSE LATE THIS AFTERNOON WHEN THIS PLANE CRASHED SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM LANCASTER AIRPORT, AND THERE WERE MANY, MANY BYSTANDERS AND ONLOOKERS. IT IS NOT A SCENE THAT EYEWITNESSES WILL SOON FORGET. IT WAS JUST AN INFERNO OF OF FIRE AND SMOKE. THE SMALL PLANE CRASHED SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF AT 318 IN THE AFTERNOON FROM LANCASTER AIRPORT. IT ENDED UP NOSE DOWN WITH ITS TAIL RESTING ON A VEHICLE IN A PARKING LOT AT BRETHREN VILLAGE. JUST AS WE TURNED IN OFF OF 501, I SAW THIS PLANE COME DOWN AT AN ANGLE, AND AS IT HIT THE BIG FIREBALL SHOT UP AS HIGH AS THE AS HIGH AS THE BUILDING. AND THEN BLACK SMOKE AND FIRE ALL OVER THE PLACE. BRIAN PIPKIN, WHO’S THE EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT AT MENNONITE DISASTER SERVICES, SAW THE PLANE GO DOWN, STOPPED AND RAN TOWARD DANGER. THE FIRE WAS SO HOT THAT IT WAS COVERING MY FACE UP AND THINGS WERE POPPING. PART OF THE PLANE WAS FALLING AND I WAS WALKING OVER IT THINKING TO MYSELF, THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION TO BE IN. BUT I WANTED TO HELP SO AND I UNFORTUNATELY DID NOT SEE ANYONE. FIVE PEOPLE WERE ON BOARD THE SINGLE ENGINE BEECHCRAFT BONANZA. THEY WERE ALL TRANSPORTED TO HOSPITALS. THE FIRE HEAVILY DAMAGED FIVE VEHICLES AND CAUSED SOME OTHER DAMAGE TO SEVEN OTHERS. NO ONE ON THE GROUND WAS HURT. THE FACT THAT WE HAVE A PLANE CRASH WHERE EVERYBODY SURVIVES AND NOBODY ON THE GROUND IS HURT IS A IS A WONDERFUL THING. AND ANYTIME YOU HAVE TRANSPORTATION, YOU ALWAYS HAVE RISK. LANCASTER TOWNSHIP BONANZA 347. MIKE HAS AN OPEN DOOR. WE NEED TO RETURN FOR LANDING. THE PILOT HAD REPORTED TO THE TOWER THAT A DOOR WAS OPEN ON THE PLANE, AND THEY NEEDED TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT. THE PLANE WAS CLEARED TO LAND, BUT MOMENTS LATER PULL UP WENT DOWN. THAT’S SCARY WHEN YOU SEE SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPEN BECAUSE YOU KNOW SOMEBODY’S GOING TO BE INJURED. EAST HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP JACQUES, THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD AND THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION ARE NOW INVESTIGATING THIS SMALL PLANE CRASH. NOW, FIVE OF THOSE PASSENGERS THAT WERE ON THE PLANE WERE INITIALLY TRANSPORTED TO LANCASTER GENERAL HOSPITAL. I JUST GOT WORD TONIGHT FROM A SPOKESMAN FOR THE HOSPITAL THAT TWO OF THOSE PATIENTS WERE AIRLIFTED TO LEHIGH VALLEY BURN CENTER, AND ONE WAS TAKEN TO THE LEHIGH VALLEY BURN CENTER BY AMBULANCE. AND TWO PATIENTS REMAIN AT LANCASTER GENERAL HOSPITA
Multiple injuries reported after Lancaster County, Pa., plane crash at Brethren Village
Multiple medics and ambulances on the scene near Lancaster Airport
Updated: 11:20 PM EDT Mar 9, 2025
A plane crashed into a Lancaster County retirement village parking lot Sunday afternoon, leaving multiple people injured and sparking a fire that engulfed nearby vehicles.The plane came down just south of the Lancaster Airport in the parking lot of Brethren Village in the Fieldcrest Building. That’s in the area of Fairview Drive and Meadowview Court in Manheim Township.There were five people on board the plane. All five passengers were initially taken to Lancaster General Hospital. Three of those patients have been transported to Lehigh Valley Burn Center — two by airlift and one by EMS. Two passengers remain at Lancaster General, according to hospital spokesperson. No one on the ground was hurt. None of the buildings were hit, according to fire officials. Route 501 is shut down near the crash.At a news conference in the wake of the crash, Manheim Township Police Chief Duane Fisher was asked if he thought the result of the crash was a miracle, he said:”I don’t know if I consider it a miracle, but the fact that we have a plane crash where everybody survives and nobody on the ground is hurt is a wonderful thing.”Hazmat was called to the scene to contain any hazardous materials. NTSB and the FAA have been called to the scene to investigate. Video from the scene shows smoke wafting from at least four vehicles in the parking lot. You can see that below. Video below: This plumes of smoke billow from crashed plane.WGAL has several crews there. Stay with us for updates.Radio CallThe pilot could be heard telling air traffic control they needed to return because a door was open. They were cleared to land. Shortly after that, air traffic control could be heard telling the pilot to pull up.Flight detailsAccording to Flight Aware, the plane had taken off from Lancaster Airport around 3:30 p.m. and was headed to Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport in Ohio. According to Flight Aware, there were five people on board. It was a private Beechcraft airplane, which is a six-seater aircraft.What is Brethren Village?Brethren Village bills itself as a community with “flexible retirement living with floor plan choices, private cottages and apartments.” The non-profit sits on 153 acres of land.Plane crash summaryA plane crashed Sunday afternoon in the parking lot of Brethren Village, a retirement community in Lancaster County.Crash occurred near the Lancaster Airport, close to Fairview Drive and Meadowview Court in Manheim Township.Crash caused a fire that spread to nearby vehicles but did not damage any buildings.Five people were on board the plane. All were taken to local hospitals.No injuries reported for people on the ground.Hazmat teams called to the scene to address hazardous materials.The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) investigating incident.Route 501 near the crash site closed.Get breaking news alerts sent to your phoneiPHONE: Download the WGAL app in the App Store.ANDROID: Download the WGAL app on Google Play.
A plane crashed into a Lancaster County retirement village parking lot Sunday afternoon, leaving multiple people injured and sparking a fire that engulfed nearby vehicles.
The plane came down just south of the Lancaster Airport in the parking lot of Brethren Village in the Fieldcrest Building. That’s in the area of Fairview Drive and Meadowview Court in Manheim Township.
There were five people on board the plane.
All five passengers were initially taken to Lancaster General Hospital. Three of those patients have been transported to Lehigh Valley Burn Center — two by airlift and one by EMS. Two passengers remain at Lancaster General, according to hospital spokesperson.
No one on the ground was hurt. None of the buildings were hit, according to fire officials. Route 501 is shut down near the crash.
At a news conference in the wake of the crash, Manheim Township Police Chief Duane Fisher was asked if he thought the result of the crash was a miracle, he said:
“I don’t know if I consider it a miracle, but the fact that we have a plane crash where everybody survives and nobody on the ground is hurt is a wonderful thing.”
Hazmat was called to the scene to contain any hazardous materials. NTSB and the FAA have been called to the scene to investigate.
Video from the scene shows smoke wafting from at least four vehicles in the parking lot. You can see that below.
Video below: This plumes of smoke billow from crashed plane.
WGAL has several crews there. Stay with us for updates.
Radio Call
The pilot could be heard telling air traffic control they needed to return because a door was open. They were cleared to land. Shortly after that, air traffic control could be heard telling the pilot to pull up.
Flight details
According to Flight Aware, the plane had taken off from Lancaster Airport around 3:30 p.m. and was headed to Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport in Ohio.
According to Flight Aware, there were five people on board. It was a private Beechcraft airplane, which is a six-seater aircraft.
What is Brethren Village?
Brethren Village bills itself as a community with “flexible retirement living with floor plan choices, private cottages and apartments.”
The non-profit sits on 153 acres of land.
- A plane crashed Sunday afternoon in the parking lot of Brethren Village, a retirement community in Lancaster County.
- Crash occurred near the Lancaster Airport, close to Fairview Drive and Meadowview Court in Manheim Township.
- Crash caused a fire that spread to nearby vehicles but did not damage any buildings.
- Five people were on board the plane. All were taken to local hospitals.
- No injuries reported for people on the ground.
- Hazmat teams called to the scene to address hazardous materials.
- The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) investigating incident.
- Route 501 near the crash site closed.
