A small plane bound for Montgomery County Airpark crashed in Bowie late Saturday night, killing all three people on board, according to Maryland State Police.
The single-engine Piper Cherokee, carrying a pilot and two passengers, was traveling from Ocean City, New Jersey, to Montgomery County when it went down in a wooded area near Scarlett Oak Court at approximately 11:30 p.m.
Authorities said an iPhone crash alert was received around 11:45 p.m., prompting a large-scale search involving multiple law enforcement and fire agencies. The wreckage was located around 3:45 a.m. Sunday in a wooded area near a residential neighborhood. Investigators believe the aircraft belongs to a Montgomery County flight school and may have been conducting a training flight. The identities of the victims have not yet been released pending notification of their families. The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration are leading the investigation into the cause of the crash.
