A small plane crashed in a parking lot at a retirement community in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, on Sunday afternoon. The incident involved a six-seater Beechcraft Bonanza that went down shortly after taking off from Lancaster Airport.
The crash occurred at around 3:18 p.m. outside the Brethren Village Retirement Community. Local fire chief Scott Little reported that the pilot had communicated concerns about an “open door” before the aircraft went down. Fortunately, no one on the ground was injured during the incident.
All five people aboard the aircraft were taken to Lancaster General Hospital for treatment. Two of them were later flown to a burn center at Lehigh Valley Health Network, while another was transported there by ground ambulance. The hospital spokesperson confirmed that two passengers remained hospitalized at Lancaster General.
Police Chief Duane Fisher noted that the plane skidded approximately 100 feet after it hit the ground. The crash damaged about a dozen vehicles in the parking lot, but thankfully, there was no damage to any buildings in the area.
The local community is shaken but relieved that there were no fatalities or serious injuries on the ground. The investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing, and officials will be looking into the circumstances surrounding the pilot’s report of the open door.