What type of plane crashed in Pennsylvania? 5 people hospitalized following the incident

A small aircraft carrying five passengers crashed into a parking lot in Pennsylvania. On Sunday, March 9, 2025, the plane crashed near the Brethren Village retirement community in Lancaster County, according to local authorities.

NBC News cited a press briefing by Manheim Township Fire Chief Scott Little, who noted that the plane took off from the Lancaster Airport shortly before the incident. He further noted that it may have skidded nearly 100 feet after initially touching the ground.

According to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), all five passengers on board the plane, a single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza, were taken to a local hospital. No injuries were reported on the ground, but at least five vehicles were damaged in the incident.

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Audio of the exchange between the pilot and ATC suggests that the Pennsylvania crash occurred due to an open door

While authorities did not provide details on the condition of the five injured individuals, NBC News reported that they were initially taken to Lancaster General Hospital. However, according to a hospital spokesperson, three were later transferred to a burn unit at Lehigh Valley Health Network. Two remained at Lancaster General until Sunday evening before being released.

According to audio from Air Traffic Control (ATC), the Beechcraft Bonanza pilot informed the Lancaster control tower that one of their doors was open and that they needed to return.

According to the NY Times, in the clip, ATC initially cleared the plane for landing but, a minute later, instructed the pilot to "pull up." Furthermore, the audio suggested that the pilot struggled to hear the controller due to wind noise.

The outlet reported that the crash in Pennsylvania led to a fire. Videos of the incident circulating online show the plane engulfed in flames and thick black smoke. Fire Chief Little revealed that while the aircraft managed to avoid crashing into any buildings, first responders on the scene faced multiple fires. Little added that they extinguished all fires within three hours.

In a separate statement, Manheim Police Chief Duane Fisher noted that residents of the Pennsylvania retirement facility were instructed to shelter in place as a precaution.

"A plane crash where everybody survives and nobody on the ground is hurt is a wonderful thing," h said, adding, "To have this type of ending so far is a great day for us."

Citing FlightAware, a flight tracking website, news outlets reported that the plane left from Lancaster Airport and was headed to Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport in Springfield, Ohio.

In an X post, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro stated that the Pennsylvania State Police were assisting local first responders. He added that he made "commonwealth resources" available for assistance.

The crash in Pennsylvania comes after a string of aviation disasters, starting with the Washington, DC, collision on January 29 that resulted in 67 fatalities. On January 31, a medical transport aircraft crash-landed in Philadelphia, leading to seven deaths. Last month, another plane in Alaska crash-landed, and a week later, there was a collision in Scottsdale, Arizona.

The National Transportation Safety Board and FAA are currently investigating the incident.