3 Pennsylvania Plane Crash Victims Transferred to Burn Unit for Treatment, Says Hospital

LITITZ, Pa.—Authorities reported Monday that three of the five individuals injured in a weekend single-engine plane crash in central Pennsylvania have been transferred from a Lancaster hospital to a burn treatment facility.

According to a spokesman for Lancaster General Hospital, two patients were airlifted to the burn center at Lehigh Valley Health Network, while a third was transported there via ambulance. The other two occupants were discharged from Lancaster General on Sunday evening.

The plane erupted in flames during its descent shortly after taking off from Lancaster Airport, ultimately crashing in a parking lot at the Brethren Village retirement community in Lititz, roughly 75 miles (121 kilometers) west of Philadelphia.

Jamie Stover, a spokeswoman for Lehigh Valley Health Network, stated she could not confirm the treatment of any individuals without prior notification of their identities, which authorities have yet to disclose.

The Beechcraft Bonanza, registered to Jam Zoom Yayos LLC in Manheim, close to the airport, went down around 3 p.m. Thankfully, the Federal Aviation Administration reported that no fatalities occurred in the fireball crash, and there were no injuries to anyone on the ground. FlightAware indicated that the aircraft was en route to Springfield, Ohio.

The National Transportation Safety Board has initiated an investigation and is collaborating with the FAA, which has dispatched personnel to the site to collect information. Investigators will focus on the pilot, the aircraft, and the operational conditions, as stated by the NTSB. This will entail obtaining air traffic control recordings, flight tracking information, witness accounts, surveillance footage, and aircraft maintenance documents.

A preliminary report is anticipated within 30 days following the incident, while the full investigation may take between 12 to 24 months to conclude.

A request for comments was made to the airport’s operations director on Monday.

Witness Brian Pipkin recounted that he was driving when he saw the plane tilt to the left.

“Then it went down nose-first,” Pipkin stated on Sunday. “There was a massive fireball.” He promptly contacted emergency services.

Audio from air traffic control captured the pilot announcing that the aircraft had “an open door, we need to return for a landing.” An air traffic controller is heard giving clearance for landing, only to later shout, “Pull up!” Shortly thereafter, someone noted that the aircraft had “gone down just behind the terminal in the parking lot street area.”