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2 Injured After Small Plane Crash Near Tipton Airport

FORT MEADE, Md. (WJZ) -- A small plane crashes shortly after leaving the Tipton Airport in Anne Arundel County. The two men on board were rescued and taken to the hospital.

Investigators are still trying to determine what went wrong.

Tracey Leong has the latest on the victim's conditions and the investigation into the crash.

The two men suffered serious but non-life threatening injuries. The crash happened just a few hundred yards away from the airport.

Shortly after takeoff a single engine plane took a dive into the woods, landing on its roof. A call for help came in just before 2 p.m. near Bald Eagle Drive and Combat Drive in Fort Meade.

"Once units made access to the scene, they found a small aircraft with two individuals trapped in the wreckage," said Captain Michael Pfaltzgraff, Anne Arundel County Fire Department.

The pilot has been identified as 57-year-old Jeffrey P. Barnett from Glen Burnie and the passenger as 82-year-old Thomas L. Cline from Silver Spring.

Getting to the plane crash was a challenge because it happened in such a heavily wooded area.

"I would estimate it was approximately a half mile off the road through a field and down into a marshy area," said Pfaltzgraff.

The plane is an older single engine model.

Officials say it's still unclear what caused the plane to lose control after takeoff.

"There's always a chance or the potential for very serious trauma. The fact that both individuals were communicating to our providers when we arrived on location was a great assistance to us and we're glad they didn't suffer more severe injuries," said Pfaltzgraff.

No one on the ground was injured. The plane is registered to the two men on board and another party. It's still unclear where they were headed.

Maryland State Police and the FAA are investigating the cause of the crash.

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