Three Killed After Private Plane Crashes Near Maryland

22/06/2026

Three Killed After Private Plane Crashes Near Maryland

MARYLAND, June 22: Three people were killed after a private plane crashed in a wooded area near a residential neighborhood in the US state of Maryland, officials said.

The wreckage of the single-engine Piper Cherokee was found early Sunday in Bowie , ending a search operation that began after the aircraft was reported missing, according to media reports.

Maryland State Police said the pilot and two passengers, all adult men, were recovered from the wreckage and pronounced dead. Their identities have not yet been released, pending notification of next of kin.

Investigators believe the aircraft belonged to a local flight school in Montgomery County and may have been on a training flight.

The plane departed from Ocean City, New Jersey , at around 11:30 p.m. ET Saturday and was heading to Montgomery County Air Park in Maryland when it crashed.

Officials said an iPhone crash alert , received about 15 minutes after takeoff, helped trigger a multi-agency search in the Bowie area.

The aircraft went down in a wooded area near homes, but no injuries were reported on the ground.

The crash is under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration .