(NEW YORK) — Three people have died, and their bodies have been recovered after a small plane crash in Nebraska, authorities said.
The Dodge County Sheriff’s Office said that “a small plane was traveling along the Platte River south of Fremont when it crashed into the river” on Friday night.
“The three occupants of the plane have been recovered and are confirmed deceased,” authorities continued. “Those identities will not be released at this time pending next of kin notification.”
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board have now taken over the investigation. The cause of the crash is currently unknown.
The Dodge County Sheriff’s Office has asked the community to avoid the area until further notice so that they may continue with their investigation.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(NEW YORK) — Families are gearing up for spring break travel, with 173 million Americans expected to take to the skies in March and April.
Whether you’re packing for a relaxing beach vacation or preparing to explore a new city, here’s what you need to know before heading to the airport:
U.S. airlines expect to carry 173 million passengers from March 1 to April 30 — up 4% from the same time last year, according to Airlines for America.
Airfare for March and April is up compared to last year. The average price per ticket is now $280, which is a 4% increase from the same time last year, according to Hopper.
The cheapest day of the week to fly for both domestic and international travel is Tuesday, according to Expedia. Passengers who fly on Tuesday instead of Saturday and Sunday can save about 15% on average.
The first two weekends of March are the cheapest travel weekends this spring, according to Hopper.
The busiest and most expensive time to fly in the U.S. will be the week of Wednesday, April 2, according to Expedia.
Southwest Airlines said it’s expecting to fly more than 8.2 million passengers between March 8 and March 23. Southwest predicts March 20 will be its busiest day in that time period.
The top destination in the U.S. is Orlando, Florida, followed by Las Vegas, Miami, Los Angeles and New York, according to Expedia.
(MANHEIM TOWNSHIP, PA) — A Beechcraft Bonanza crashed in Pennsylvania on Sunday afternoon with five people aboard, according to the Federal Aviation Authority.
The small aircraft went down near a retirement village south of Lancaster Airport, the Manheim Borough Police Department told ABC News.
The plane had just departed from the airport shortly before it crashed, authorities said during a briefing on Sunday evening, adding that the plane might have skidded about 100 feet after it first made contact with the ground.
No one was hurt on the ground, officials confirmed.
All five passengers were transported to Lancaster General Hospital, where trauma and emergency teams were at the ready to provide care, according to hospital spokesperson.
Two of the patients were later transported to Lehigh Valley Health Network’s burn center by PennSTAR flight crews, the spokesperson said, and one patient was transported there by ground ambulance. Two patients remain hospitalized at Lancaster General as of Sunday night, they added.
The plane crash occurred around 3 p.m., according to the FAA, which said it will investigate. The National Transportation Safety Board is also monitoring the situation
According to audio from Air Traffic Control, the pilot told the Lancaster Airport control tower that his plane “has an open door we need to return for landing.”
ATC then cleared the plane to return, but a few seconds later the controller told the plane to “pull up,” the audio revealed.
Images taken by witnesses and shared with ABC News showed flames and smoke billowing from the crash site in Lititz, Manheim Township.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro posted a statement on X.com saying, “Our team at @PAStatePolice is on the ground assisting local first responders following the small private plane crash near Lancaster Airport in Manheim Township. All Commonwealth resources are available as the response continues, and more information will be provided as it becomes available.”
Information will be released as it becomes available, the NTSB said.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(SPOKANE, Wash.) –A 40-year-old man attacked a priest during a church service in Spokane, Washington, on Tuesday night, according to officials.
Around 350 to 400 people had gathered at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes in downtown Spokane on Tuesday for the second night of novena, a tradition of gathering for prayer for nine days or nine weeks, when the man, identified as Joshua James Sommers, allegedly attacked the priest.
Security camera footage shows Sommers leaving his pew, rushing up to the altar near the end of the service and attempting to strike Rev. David Gaines in the face. Gaines was able to pin down Sommers, with other staff and churchgoers running up to help.
In the footage, Sommers lets out screams, and Gaines continues to say, “It’s OK, just calm down.”
Security guards quickly came to assist, and the Spokane Police Department was also notified immediately of the incident, according to the church. Gaines was not harmed in the attack.
Father Darrin Connall, who was kneeling at the altar when the attack occurred, told ABC News the church has not seen “anything quite this serious.”
“All of us were pretty shaken,” Connall said. “You don’t expect to see something like that when you’re gathering together to pray and worship.”
Once Sommers was escorted out by police, Connall said the entire group stopped the service and prayed for him.
“Whatever demons he was struggling with needed to be healed,” Connall said.
Sommers was arrested on misdemeanor assault charges, and also has a previous record of harming others. In 2023, Sommers was charged with third-degree assault after attacking an employee at a mental health facility. Sommers, who was a patient at this facility, allegedly punched the employee multiple times and stole their keys to try and escape, according to the affidavit on those charges.
Sommers appeared in court Wednesday on assault charges, along with the outstanding warrant from his previous assault. He will return to court later this month and remains behind bars.
ABC News’ Irving Last and Jennifer Watts contributed to this report.
