Feds Back at Scene Of Plane Crash That Injured 2 Md. Men
FORT MEADE, Md. (WJZ) -- Frightening scene. Two victims remain hospitalized after a plane crashes in a wooded area in Anne Arundel County moments after takeoff.
Rick Ritter has more on the conditions of the people on board.
At last check, the passenger on board that plane remains in critical condition. The pilot is expected to survive.
WJZ obtained emergency calls from the crash that show how hard it was for crews to get to the plane.
Crumbled like a paper plane, chopper video shows the aftermath of a horrifying crash that has one man fighting for his life.
Sunday afternoon, a single engine plane spiraled down into the woods near the Tipton Airport just after takeoff, totaling the aircraft.
On board, 57-year-old pilot Jeff Barnett of Glen Burnie and 82-year-old Thomas Cline of Silver Spring.
Crews raced to the scene, but frantic calls show the struggle just to find the exact location.
Caller: "We got a lot of smoke in the woods, but I'm unable to locate the source though."
It took crews nearly an hour to trudge through swamp-like conditions and rescue both victims. Officials say the two were conscious and speaking.
"They found a small aircraft with two individuals trapped in the wreckage," said Captain Michael Pfaltzgraff, Anne Arundel County Fire Department.
Both were flown to Shock Trauma, where the 82-year-old Cline is in critical condition.
On Monday, access to the scene near the Patuxent Refuge Park remains blocked off as the investigation continues, hoping both victims live to overcome the traumatic ordeal.
Investigators are still trying to determine what exactly caused the plane to go down.
Officials say the plane was registered to both the pilot and the passenger.
