NTSB investigating what led to deadly plane crash in Bowie

BOWIE, Md. - The investigation continues after a deadly plane crash in Bowie claimed the lives of three people. Federal investigators were expected to arrive on scene Monday as they work to determine what caused the single‑engine aircraft to go down in a wooded area just feet from a townhome community. 

FOX 5’s Maureen Umeh reports investigators are now beginning the long process of figuring out what went wrong. The NTSB is leading the investigation after a single‑engine Piper Cherokee crashed just before midnight Saturday, killing all three men on board. The plane went down around 11:30 p.m. in the woods off Scarlet Oak Terrace in Bowie.

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Authorities say the aircraft was traveling from Ocean City, New Jersey, to Montgomery County Airpark in Gaithersburg. The crash site sits only steps from a playground and a row of townhomes, and cell phone videos show debris scattered behind homes.

Maryland State Police say an iPhone crash alert triggered a massive search involving multiple agencies. The aircraft wasn’t found until nearly four hours later, around 3:45 a.m. Sunday.

Investigators believe the plane belonged to a Montgomery County flight school and may have been participating in a training flight. The NTSB says its team will review everything from the plane’s maintenance history to weather conditions, air traffic communications and the pilot’s flight records.

All three men on board were killed. Their identities have not yet been released as authorities work to notify family members.