Odenton Pilot Identified In Highway Landing Near Annapolis

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Federal officials are investigating what caused a small plane to crash land on a tree-lined on-ramp near Annapolis, according to Anne Arundel County Police. The single-engine plane flown by Christopher Curry, 32, of Odenton, also carried his two sons when it went down on the ramp from Interstate 97 southbound and hit a guardrail about 3 p.m. Friday.

The Anne Arundel County Fire Department said via Twitter that paramedics checked Curry and his children for minor injuries, but they were unhurt. Fire crews evaluated a small fuel leak. No other vehicles were involved in the crash, officials said

Fire officials said the plane was attempting to land at Lee Airport, 3094 Solomons Island Rd, Edgewater, when it went down in the Parole area.

Maryland State Police said Curry took off from Tipton Airfield at Fort Meade and was trying to return when he lost engine speed and noticed smoke coming from the engine compartment. During the emergency landing on eastbound Route 50 to Route 665 the aircraft stuck a light pole and a guardrail.

The plane involved is a Socata TB200 registered to Tipton Tampico LLC.

Officials with the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration were notified and will investigate the cause of the crash landing

Aerial footage from WBAL TV's helicopter showed the tail section of the plane on the road, while the nose of the plane was in trees bordering the highway. It appears one wing was shorn off the plane.

State Police said about 5:45 p.m. that the ramp from eastbound Route 50 to Route 655 had reopened.

Photos courtesy of the Anne Arundel County Fire Department