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03/29/2024 01:07:36 am

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Helicopter and Small Plane Collide in Frederick County, Three Dead

Three people have been reportedly killed on Thursday as a helicopter that conducted training exercises and a private plane flying in the area collided midair near the Frederick Municipal Airport at about 3:40 in the afternoon.

Maryland State Police identified the three people who died from the collision as 29-year-old Christopher Parsons of Westminster, Marlyand, 35-year-old Breandan MacFawn of Cumberland, Maryland, and 47-year-old William Jenkins of Morrison, Colorado. These three men were all from the helicopter.

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The two men on-board the private plane were Scott Graeves, 55, from Brookeville, Maryland, and Gilber Porter, 75, from Sandy Spring, Maryland. Both suffered injuries and were taken to Meritus Medical Center located in Hagerstown. They were released after just a few hours from the hospital as they were declared to be in stable condition. Graeves is said to be the pilot while Porter was the plane's sole passenger.

The plane was said to have crashed in a heavily-wooded areas while the helicopter crashed a hundred yards away and was found in an industrial area.

According to witness accounts, they heard a loud boom. When they went out the area to check, they saw a parachute sticking over a tree line across the field. They then took the two men away from the plane as it had fuel leaking out of it.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the preliminary investigation revealed a Cirrus SR 22, in reference to the plane, and an R44 were the models of the aircrafts that collided midair.

The SR 22 is said to be a four-seat plane and was equipped with a parachute while R44 was manufactured by the Robinson Helicopter Co.

The SR 22 was reportedly inbound to the airport when the accident occurred. The plane was registered in Olney, Maryland and came from Cleveland, Tennessee while the helicopter is part of the routine training being held by Advanced Helicopter Concepts.

Both FAA and NTSB are still going to investigate how the collision happened and which party is at fault. 

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