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:

Two people were rescued seven hours after their small plane crashed into a power transmission tower near Montgomery County Airpark in Gaithersburg, Maryland, leaving them dangling 100 feet above ground.
The pilot and passenger sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries and hypothermia, as rescue operations were conducted during night IFR conditions with low visibility and mist.
The incident, which is under investigation by the NTSB, caused power outages for approximately 85,000 customers and school cancellations, with potential contributing factors including an unstabilized approach and challenging weather/approach conditions.

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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.