Pilot, Passenger Rescued From Stuck Plane; MOCO Schools Cancel Classes

Updated at 8:20 a.m. Monday

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD — A pilot and passenger were rescued from a plane that crashed into an electrical transmission tower, authorities said about 1 a.m. Monday. The pair, stuck for hours about 100 feet off the ground, suffered exposure and trauma injuries, Montgomery County Fire Chief Scott Goldstein said.

All Montgomery County public schools and offices are closed Monday, Nov. 28, after the plane crash left more than 40 schools and six central office facilities without power. The crash damaged Pepco electrical lines, knocking out power to about 90,000 users across a swath of Montgomery County from Germantown to Rockville and Gaithersburg.

All Montgomery College campuses and locations are also closed Monday.

As of 8 a.m. Monday, Pepco's outage map showed about 500 customers remained without power.

The plane was tied down to the tower at 12:16 a.m., the first victim was freed at 12:25 a.m. and the second at 12:36 a.m. Both occupants were taken to Suburban Hospital for medical treatment, according to Virginia State Police.

Authorities said that they must determine how to remove the plane, and restring power lines. Most power in the county has been rerouted and restored by Pepco, Goldstein said early Monday.

About 11 p.m. Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services spokesman Pete Piringer streamed from the site, where crews were beginning to approach the stuck plane and ensure all power was off before rescuers could secure the aircraft and extricate the pilot and passenger.

Pepco said on Twitter that the utility confirmed a private plane struck Pepco’s transmission lines in Montgomery County, resulting in an outage to about 120,000 customers, although the number dropped to about 90,000 by 11 p.m. Initial outage estimates said 85,000 customers were in the dark.

The crash happened about 6 p.m. four miles northwest of near Rothbury Drive and Goshen Road, county officials said, as the plane was headed toward Montgomery Airpark to land.

The FAA told WTOP the plane left the Westchester County Airport in White Plains, New York, en route to Montgomery County's airport.

The plane involved is a Mooney Mike 20P single engine plane. The pilot is identified as Patrick Merkle, 65, of Washington, D.C. The passenger is identified as Jan Williams, 66, of Marrero, Louisiana.

"We are assessing damage and working closely with Montgomery County fire and emergency services," Pepco said Sunday night about 7:30 p.m. "We are awaiting clearance to the scene before crews can begin work to stabilize the electric infrastructure and begin restoring service."

The utility's outage map showed about 120,000 customers offline ranging from Gaithersburg to Wheaton and Silver Spring.

Goldstein said about 9 p.m. that utility crews must ground the tower to ensure there is no power — even static electricity from the plane rubbing against the structure — to the tower where the plane is stuck. A crane was brought in to assist crews.

Photos shared by Piringer showed the plane dangling from the side of a transmission tower.

The plane was suspended about 100 feet in the air, but the two people on board were not hurt, Piringer said.

Montgomery County Department of Transportation reported about 125 traffic signal lights were without power as of 11:15 p.m. Sunday. More signals are expected to stop functioning as their battery backup units run down.

Maryland law requires drivers to treat non-functioning traffic signals as an all-way stop. Drivers should only proceed into the intersection when it is clear and safe, MDOT said.

Power outages are affecting the Shady Grove Metro station, which is near the site of the crash. Commuters should expect Red Line delays, WTOP reported.

Maryland State Police from the College Park and Rockville Barracks are on the scene, along with emergency medical service personnel from Montgomery County. Personnel from the Potomac Electric Power Company are also on scene.

Power outage in the Rockville/Gaithersburg/Germantown area has affected power to the county's 24-hour Crisis Center. There are currently no walk-in services available. Phone service (240-777-4000) is not affected, the agency said.

If you are experiencing an outage, report it at http://pepco.com/outage, or use Pepco's mobile app, or by texting OUT to 48710.

Potomac Edison customers should report outages through that company's website, and Baltimore Gas & Electric customers should report outages online.

There is no timetable yet for when users should expect power to be restored.

Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration also responded. They will investigate how and why the crash occurred. Members of the Maryland State Police Criminal Enforcement Division are assisting with the investigation. There are no signs of criminal activity or foul play at this time.