Two Rescued From Aircraft Left Dangling From Powerlines

The Mooney M20J collided with an electrical transmission tower as it was on approach to Montgomery County Airpark.

Monday, November 28, 2022 at 04:10 PM ET

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Two people were rescued from a Mooney M20J left dangling from a power transmission tower near an airport in Gaithersburg, Maryland (KGAI). [Credit: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

A small plane carrying two people crashed into a power transmission tower near Gaithersburg, Maryland, on Sunday evening during challenging night IFR conditions with low visibility.
The pilot and passenger dangled 100 feet above ground for seven hours before being rescued, sustaining serious but non-life-threatening injuries and hypothermia.
The crash caused extensive power outages for approximately 85,000 customers and led to school cancellations in the area.
The NTSB is investigating the incident, with early observations noting the demanding RNAV 14 approach, specific minimums requirements due to weather, and unstable approach speed as potential factors.

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Two people were rescued from a small plane seven hours after they were left dangling from a power transmission tower near an airport in Gaithersburg, Maryland, on Sunday night.

The aircraft—a Mooney M20J—was on approach to Montgomery County Airpark (KGAI) around 5:30 p.m. when, according to the Montgomery County Fire Department, the aircraft collided with the transmission tower north of the airport.