A small plane crash in a remote area of southern Vermont left three people injured, as emergency crews faced challenging conditions to reach the site.
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The plane, departing from Baltimore around 6 a.m. on February 26th, crashed into the summit of Mount Equinox, a 3,000-foot peak in Bennington County, at approximately 8:30 a.m., according to flight tracking data from FlightRadar24 per The New York Post.
The aircraft was a Piper Cherokee Charger, a small plane designed to carry three passengers along with the pilot.
The aircraft was discovered shortly after 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, and all passengers were promptly assessed and airlifted for further care, according to the Manchester Fire Department.
Challenging conditions, including snow, ice, fog, and the remote location, have hindered efforts by police, fire, and rescue teams to access the crash site, according to Manchester Town Manager Scott Murphy in a statement to the Vermont Digger.
Firefighters are advising the public to steer clear of Old Route 7 as emergency vehicles navigate the area, while helicopters have been deployed to the scene, according to WMTW.
The Rutland City Fire Department was called to provide additional support in response to a small plane crash, firefighter Kyle Robillard told the Vermont Digger. Approximately 100 individuals participated in the rescue operation.
Fire Chief Details Harrowing Rescue Following Small Plane Crash in Vermont
Jamie Greene, the first assistant chief of the Manchester Fire Department, reported that all three individuals sustained injuries that were not life-threatening. He noted that each person was “awake” and “alert.”
Speaking at a Wednesday afternoon press conference, Greene declined to name the individuals injured in the crash.
“Obviously, the snow helped cushion the fall,” Greene explained, per the Vermont Digger. “[The pilot] was able to guide through a couple trees just perfectly,” he added.
“It was very rugged terrain, but our guys pushed through and were able to finally contact them,” Greene detailed of the rescue. “Then we were able to get all of our manpower down there to help assist and get the medics in there (and) make sure that everyone was okay.”
“We gave them the GPS coordinates of roughly where we were,” Greene added. “There was a lot of tree cover so it was hard to find us on the ground.”
Greene stated that the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board would be investigating the incident. Officials from both agencies are expected to arrive Friday morning to begin their inquiry.