Gaithersburg: Mooney and 2 souls unhurt but stuck in power lines

[Rush]

Plane caught in power lines after crash, 2 occupants unhurt

The FAA said in a statement that the single-engine plane, which had departed White Plains, N.Y., crashed into the power lines near Montgomery County Airpark in Gaithersburg Sunday evening.

www.kcbd.com

 

[Rush]

The story has been updated. They’ve been rescued but did suffer injuries and hypothermia. They are extremely lucky, what are the odds of surviving hitting a tower and/or power lines?

 

[PeterNSteinmetz]

Appears to have been N201BF.

Crews rescue 2 from plane caught in power lines in Maryland

GAITHERSBURG, Md. (AP) — Two people were rescued early Monday more than six hours after their small plane crashed into live power lines, causing widespread outages in Montgomery County, Maryland. Montgomery County Fire Chief Scott Goldstein said the plane got stuck in the lines about 100 feet...

apnews.com

 

[PeterNSteinmetz]

They are extremely lucky, what are the odds of surviving hitting a tower and/or power lines?

My understanding is that hitting wires is 90+ percent of the time fatal. Just what a mentor told me.

 

[Rush]

My understanding is that hitting wires is 90+ percent of the time fatal. Just what a mentor told me.

Come to think of it one of my CFIs hit power lines and everyone survived. C172, coming in to a landing in a field, hit the lines, flipped it upside down. Only injury was the pax in the back got a broken leg.

 

[Ron Wanttaja]

My understanding is that hitting wires is 90+ percent of the time fatal. Just what a mentor told me.

Based on my homebuilt accident database, it's a bit less than 50%. 17 out of 39 accidents, over a ~22-year period.

Ron Wanttaja

 

[PeterNSteinmetz]

Based on my homebuilt accident database, it's a bit less than 50%. 17 out of 39 accidents, over a ~22-year period.

Ron Wanttaja

Good to know Ron, thanks. I guess my glider mentor was trying really hard to get me to look carefully for wires!