CNN –
The pilot and passenger of a small plane were trapped after it crashed into power lines in Maryland on Sunday, local authorities said.
Rescue units were dispatched at 5:30 p.m. to reports of a small plane that had flown into power lines in Montgomery County, according to Pete Piringer, chief spokesman for Montgomery County Fire and Rescue ( MD).
When units arrived at the scene, they found a small plane suspended about 100 feet in the air that had struck the tower. The pilot and passenger survived and are doing well, Piringer said.
About 85,000 customers are without power after the crash, according to utility company Pepco, which provides electric service to about 894,000 customers in Washington, DC and surrounding areas of Maryland.
“We have confirmed that a private aircraft came into contact with Pepco transmission lines in Montgomery County, causing an outage for approximately 85,000 customers.” Pepco tweeted. “We are assessing the damage and working closely with Montgomery County Fire and Emergency Services.”
“We are awaiting site clearance before crews can begin work to stabilize the electrical infrastructure and begin restoring service,” the company added.
According to Piringer, the fire department is in communication with the pilot and passenger, and roads are closed as crews develop a rescue plan.
The Federal Aviation Administration told CNN the plane is a single-engine Mooney that took off from Westchester County Airport in New York. The agency will investigate the incident along with the National Transportation Safety Board.
William Smouse, who lives about a mile from where the crash happened, told CNN affiliate WJLA Sunday evening that he was on his way to dinner with his son when he saw “two big flashes” and then several vehicles from firemen passing by
“It’s a shame, but I’m glad they’re still there. We can see the light in the cell phone cockpit from the pilot, we did here they called to say they’re OK,” Smouse said.
Smouse said the incident is “pretty scary” and that his home is in an area where airplanes and jets often pass through.
“I think about it a lot, where they come in and they’re literally 200 or 300 feet above us,” he said.