The Brief
- An NTSB preliminary report reveals a pilot transmitted a distress code and reported he could not see the airport shortly before crashing near a Bowie neighborhood last month, killing all three people on board.
- Triggered by an automated iPhone alert, emergency crews searched for nearly four hours in the dark before locating the downed Piper Cherokee just feet from a townhome community and a playground.
- Investigators found extensive wreckage damage—including severed wings and a crushed cockpit—and have retained the aircraft for further analysis despite clear weather conditions.
BOWIE, MD. – A pilot radioed that he was experiencing an emergency and could not see the runway just moments before his single-engine plane crashed into a wooded area near a Bowie neighborhood last month, killing all three men on board.
The new details were released by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in its preliminary report on the June 20 crash of the Piper Cherokee (PA-28).
The aircraft went down around 11:30 p.m. off Scarlett Oak Court near Scarlet Lane, coming to rest just feet away from a residential townhome community and a neighborhood playground, according to previous FOX 5 D.C. reporting.
The final minutes
Timeline:…