Small Plane Crashes Near Maryland Airport

ODENTON, Md. --

A pilot was being treated for life-threatening injuries after his small plane crashed on a roadway Friday afternoon near Fort Meade.

Investigators said they believe the pilot, who was the only person onboard, was trying to come in for a landing at nearby Tipton Airport.

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Battalion Chief Michael Cox of the Anne Arundel County Fire Department said the crash happened at 4:17 p.m. at Old Portland Road and Route 198 in Maryland City. The plane, a single-engine Piper, crashed on the two-lane roadway and skidded into a wooded area.

Firefighters from Anne Arundel, Howard and Prince George's counties responded and found the pilot trapped inside. It took about 15 minutes to get him free. He was flown to Shock Trauma in Baltimore and later listed in critical condition.

It's the third plane crash in the last six months near Tipton Airport, and the second one this week.

"The preliminary investigation is that he was traveling from Pennsylvania and was attempting to land at Tipton Airport. The runway at Tipton Airport is approximately a half-mile from this location," said Sgt. Arthur Betts of the Maryland State Police.

There are no signs of any distress call from the pilot to air traffic control before the crash, officials said. The plane's registered owner lives in Emmaus, Pa.