https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/aircraft-crashes-at-brethren-village-in-manheim-township/article_4d97540c-fd21-11ef-bbe9-f7813ee350a2.html(all had injuries, no fatals, thank the Lord !)
Shortly after 3:15 p.m. Sunday, Lancaster County-Wide Communications dispatchers reported an aircraft had crashed near a parking lot of Brethren Village. Dispatchers reported that a small airplane as well as several cars had caught fire.
Manheim Township police arrived on scene within two minutes of the dispatch report, with Manheim Township Fire and Rescue arriving immediately afterward.
Officials reported at a press conference that a total of five people, all of whom were on the plane which had taken off from Lancaster Airport, were injured in the incident. They were transported by local EMS agencies to local hospitals for treatment. No one on the ground sustained any injuries.
Manheim Township chief of police Duane Fisher said that, from initial investigation, the plane may have skidded over 100 feet after making contact with the ground. He confirmed that Brethren Village residents were asked to shelter in place as a precaution.
"I don't know if I'd consider it a miracle, but the fact that we have a plane crash where no one on the ground was hurt is a wonderful thing," Fisher said.
Manheim Township fire rescue/emergency management director Scott Little stated they will now transition into the discovery and investigation phase. Additional info from federal agencies on next steps are to be determined.
A dozen vehicles on the ground sustained additional damages, with five being severe. No structural damage was reported at Brethren Village. Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Service was seen on site to assist in recovery efforts.
Per the Associated Press, a person on the aircraft was heard reporting that a door on the aircraft was open before requesting a landing at the airport. An air traffic controller had cleared the plane to land before saying "Pull up!"Brian Pipkin, a Lititz resident who was visiting Brethren Village at the time of the crash, said he was driving on Airport Road when he saw the plane flying low.
“I don’t know what played into it but it veered left,” Pipkin said. “It just nosedived.”
Pipkin said he couldn’t tell if the plane struck a parking lot at Brethren Village or a building. He called 911.
Pipkin said he saw two people laying in the grass nearby, covered in black marks. He wasn’t sure if they were ejected from the plane or not.
