Small plane crashes into power lines in Maryland, leaving passengers in limbo and thousands without power

A small plane crashed power lines in Maryland, leaving at least two people hanging about 100 feet in the air, officials said. The accident knocked out electricity to thousands of people in the area.

A single-engine Mooney M20J crashed into cables near Montgomery County Airpark in Gaithersburg, Md., around 5:40 p.m. local time Sunday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The plane appeared to be intact as it was caught in a network of power lines about 100 feet in the air. Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Department spokesman Pete Piringer and the FAA initially said there were two people on the plane, but Piringer later said in a video of the scene that he thought three people were trapped inside.

At around 6:30 p.m., Piringer said those on the plane appeared relatively unhurt, but remained in a “very precarious situation” as the wires were still live.

The accident led to “widespread power outages” and nearby road closures, officials said.

Pepco confirmed the accident affected around 85,000 customers and said it was working with authorities to assess the damage.

“We have confirmed that a private plane has contacted Pepco transmission lines in Montgomery County, causing an outage of approximately 85,000 customers,” the utility company tweeted. “We are assessing the damage and working closely with Montgomery County Fire and Emergency Services.”

The crash will be investigated by the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board, with the NTSB leading the investigation and providing additional updates, the FAA said in a statement.