YORK COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) – According to the Federal Aviation Administration, one person has died after a plane crashed and struck a utility truck on a Pennsylvania Turnpike off-ramp in York County Wednesday afternoon.
On Friday, the FAA updated their initial accident report, which now states the plane’s passenger died, while the pilot sustained serious injuries. A previous FAA report was corrected after previously misidentifying the crash victim. In a statement Friday morning, the FAA said “All of our information is preliminary and subject to change. The NTSB is in charge of the investigation and will provide any further updates.”
The Dauphin County Coroner’s office identified the victim as Lawrence Sager, 74, of Harrisburg, saying he died at UPMC Harrisburg Hospital on Wednesday afternoon and that an autopsy is not yet complete.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, two people were on board the single-engine Cessna 180 when it crashed on the turnpike south of the Capital City Airport.
Ted Czech with the York County Office of Emergency Management says one of the plane’s passengers was taken to the hospital by helicopter and the second was transported to the hospital by ambulance while the truck driver was not injured.
According to Czech, the circumstances leading up to the crash are still being investigated and a hazmat team was called, but no fire or explosion was reported. Pennsylvania State Police say the plane was attempting to make an emergency landing.
The National Transportation Safety Board is also investigating the crash and will document where the accident happened, the airplane itself, collect witness statements and source any video that possibly captured any part of the flight.
The NTSB says they will release a preliminary report in 2-3 weeks that will detail the facts and circumstances of the accident, including flight tracking and radar data, as well as communications with the airport tower. However, a full NTSB report will take one to two years.
Witnesses to the accident, or those who have information that may be relevant to the investigation, are encouraged to contact the NTSB via email at witness@ntsb.gov.
According to PennDOT, all entrance and exit ramps at the Harrisburg West Interchange were closed for an extended period, however the mainline of the turnpike remained open.
The Capital City Airport is located five miles from Downtown Harrisburg and the State Capitol Building.
