Three Israelis were killed today (Sunday) when a small plane crashed in eastern Maryland while traveling from New Jersey to Montgomery County. The plane went down less than 20 miles east of Washington, and wasn’t found until early Sunday morning with the pilot and two passengers dead inside.
The incident began unfolding shortly before midnight, when local dispatchers received an automatic crash alert from an iPhone. The alert triggered a massive response from law enforcement, fire, and rescue teams who launched extensive searches across the area. The search continued through the night until 3:45 a.m., when crews located the wreckage in a wooded area behind a residential complex and playground on Scarlet Oak Terrace.
When emergency responders reached the scene, they found no survivors. Authorities believe the pilot and two passengers were the only people aboard the aircraft at the time of the crash. According to official sources, the debris field stretched across roughly 100 feet. Maryland State Police responded to the scene and opened an investigation, now being led by the National Transportation Safety Board with assistance from local and state agencies.