Three Israelis were killed overnight in a small plane crash in Maryland, near Washington, while traveling from New Jersey to Montgomery County, Maryland. The plane went down less than 20 miles east of Washington, and by early morning rescuers had found the wreckage in a wooded area with no survivors.
The incident began unfolding shortly before midnight, when local dispatchers received an automatic crash alert from one of the victims’ iPhones. That alert triggered a large response from law enforcement, fire, and rescue teams, who conducted extensive searches throughout the night.
Search crews continued until 3:45 a.m., when the remains of the aircraft were located behind a housing complex and a playground on Scarlet Oak Terrace. Officials said the pilot and two passengers were the only people on board, and all were dead at the scene.
Authorities said the debris field covered about 100 feet. Maryland State Police opened an investigation, and the National Transportation Safety Board is leading the inquiry with help from local and state agencies.
