3 dead after small plane crashes in Bowie neighborhood

BOWIE, MD. - An investigation is underway after a small plane crash in Bowie left three people dead this weekend.

What we know:

An iPhone crash alert was received by Prince George's County Public Safety Communications at 11:53 p.m. Saturday indicating a possible crash in the area of Route 50 and Route 301.

Because the crash happened in the dark and there were no eyewitnesses, it took search crews about four hours to locate the wreckage, according to officials.

The crashed single-engine Piper Cherokee (PA-28) was found in a wooded area off Scarlett Oak Court near Scarlet Lane in Bowie. The aircraft crashed just feet away from a residential town home community, officials said. 

Photos and cell phone video from the scene show debris from the plane near a playground, with a portion of a wing landing directly in a neighbor's backyard.

Residents reported hearing a loud bang at the time of the crash, which some initially mistook for fireworks or thunder. 

Officials said three adult men—a pilot and two passengers—were pronounced dead at the scene by emergency medical personnel. Their identities are being withheld pending notification of next of kin, and no injuries to anyone on the ground were reported. 

Dig deeper:

During a Sunday morning press conference, officials said the plane belonged to a Montgomery County flight school and is believed to have been on a training flight.

Maryland State Police said the aircraft was en route from Ocean City, New Jersey, to Montgomery County Airpark when it crashed around 11:30 p.m. for reasons that remain unknown. The plane went down roughly 30 miles away from its destination.

A large-scale search operation involving the Prince George's County Fire Department, Maryland State Police, Anne Arundel County Police Department, Prince George's County Police Department and Bowie City Police Department was launched after the crash alert was received.

Forensic analysts with the Maryland State Police Forensic Sciences Division responded to process the scene for evidence.

What's next:

The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation. The Federal Aviation Administration has also been notified and is assisting with the ongoing investigation. 

MarylandNewsNews