Three Israelis were killed when a small aircraft crashed in eastern Maryland while traveling from New Jersey to Montgomery County, less than 20 miles east of Washington, D.C.

The aircraft went down shortly before midnight, prompting a large-scale emergency response after local dispatchers received an automatic crash alert from an iPhone. Law enforcement, fire, and rescue crews launched an extensive overnight search in an effort to locate the missing plane.

At approximately 3:45 a.m., search teams discovered the wreckage in a wooded area behind a residential complex and playground on Scarlet Oak Terrace. Emergency responders who reached the scene found the pilot and two passengers deceased.

Authorities believe the three victims were the only people aboard the aircraft at the time of the crash. Officials said the debris field stretched roughly 100 feet from the main wreckage site.

Maryland State Police responded to the scene, while the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has assumed control of the investigation with assistance from local and state authorities. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)