Horrible Small Plane Crash Near Washington D.C. Kills Three

Three men were killed late Saturday night (June 20, 2026) after a single-engine aircraft crashed in a wooded area near Bowie in Prince George’s County, Maryland, according to Maryland State Police.

Officials said the victims have not yet been identified, as authorities are still awaiting notification of next of kin. All three were pronounced dead at the scene by emergency medical services.

Preliminary findings indicate the aircraft, a Piper Cherokee carrying a pilot and two passengers, departed from Ocean City, New Jersey and was heading to Montgomery County Air Park when it went down for reasons that remain unclear. There were no reports of additional injuries on the ground.

The scene of the disaster. Photo: ZAKA Spokesperson

Emergency crews were first alerted shortly before midnight when a crash notification from an iPhone was received by Prince George’s County Public Safety Communications, indicating a possible incident near Route 50 and Route 301. In response, multiple agencies launched a coordinated search effort involving ground units and aerial support.

The response included the Prince George’s County Fire Department, Maryland State Police units from the Special Operations Division, Criminal Enforcement Division, and College Park Barrack, as well as officers from Anne Arundel County Police Department, Prince George’s County Police Department, and Bowie City Police Department.

Despite the overnight search, the wreckage was not located until approximately 3:45 a.m. on Sunday morning. The aircraft was found in a heavily wooded area close to residential properties near Scarlett Oak Court in Bowie. Maryland State Police forensic teams were deployed to process the scene and collect evidence.

Investigators believe the aircraft may belong to a local flight school based in Montgomery County, and initial indications suggest it could have been operating as part of a training flight at the time of the crash.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have both been notified and are leading the ongoing investigation into what caused the aircraft to go down. Authorities have not yet commented on possible contributing factors.

The crash site remains under investigation as officials work to determine the sequence of events leading up to the accident.

Last week, we reported on another small plane crashing on Loop 20 in Laredo, leading to one death. Also in June, a skydiving aircraft carrying 12 people crashed after departing a Missouri airport, claiming all lives, while a Gulfstream G200 plane that attempted to return to La Romana Airport in the Dominican Republic crashed with the pilot and co-pilot on board, killing both.