A chilling air traffic control (ATC) recording has shed light on the moments leading up to a fiery plane crash near Lancaster Airport in Pennsylvania. The single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza, carrying five people, went down in the parking lot of a retirement community on Sunday (March 9) afternoon, igniting multiple vehicles but miraculously leaving everyone on board alive.

All five individuals on board were transported to local hospitals with unspecified injuries, including burns. Their conditions remain unknown. 

Newly released ATC audio reveals that the pilot reported an open door and significant wind noise, which may have contributed to the aircraft’s sudden descent. “According to new audio, the pilot was heard telling ground agents that there was an open door and he couldn’t hear anything because of the wind noise,” a X user who shared the audio mentioned in the post. 

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“Pull up… the aircraft is down just behind the terminal in the parking lot tree area,” the air traffic controller could be heard saying.

According to Manheim Township Police Chief Duane Fisher, the crash occurred just south of Lancaster Airport around 3 pm. The aircraft burst into flames upon impact, severely damaging a dozen parked cars, but miraculously, no residents of Brethren Village retirement community were injured.

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Eyewitness accounts of the crash

Witness Brian Pipkin, who was driving nearby, described seeing the plane struggle before suddenly veering left and nosediving into the lot. “There was an immediate fireball,” Pipkin told The Associated Press. 

He called 911 and rushed to the scene, capturing footage of thick black smoke rising from the wreckage. “It was so smoky and so hot,” he said. “The first responders had a tough time getting the fire out.”

A fire truck from Lancaster Airport arrived quickly, followed by additional emergency crews. Police Chief Fisher expressed amazement at the lack of fatalities. “I don’t know if I’d consider it a miracle, but the fact that we have a plane crash where everybody survives and nobody on the ground is hurt is a wonderful thing.”

FAA launches investigation

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has launched an investigation into the crash, though the planned route and destination of the aircraft have yet to be disclosed.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro confirmed that state police are assisting local authorities. “All Commonwealth resources are available as the response continues,” Shapiro stated on social media.

The Lancaster crash comes just weeks after a deadly air ambulance incident in Philadelphia that claimed seven lives. As authorities work to determine the cause of the latest aviation mishap, the newly surfaced ATC audio provides crucial insight into the harrowing moments before impact.