3 Killed After Plane Taking Off From NJ Crashes: Police

BOWIE, MD — Three people died after a plane that took off from Ocean City crashed in a wooded area of Maryland, authorities said.

All three were men and will be identified pending next of kin notification, Maryland State Police said in a news release.

It was about 11:30 p.m. Saturday when a single engine Piper Cherokee with a pilot and two passengers on board were en route to Montgomery County, PA when for reasons unknown at this time, the plane crashed into a wooded area in Bowie, police said. There were no other injuries reported.

At about 11:45 p.m., Prince George’s County Public Safety Communications got an iPhone crash alert indicating a crash in the area of Route 50 and 301, police said. Multiple first responders conducted a ground and aerial search for the aircraft.

The plane was found Sunday at about 3:45 a.m. near a residential area in Bowie, MD, police said.

Investigators believe the aircraft belongs to a local flight school in Montgomery County. Police believe the aircraft may have been participating in a training flight.

The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration are leading the investigation.