| At 7:18 pm, the Limerick Fire Department along with Sanatoga, North Coventry, and New Hanover units were dispatched to a reported plane crash at Heritage Field Airport. Reports stated the pilot, the single occupant of the plane, was trapped inside after the plane had flipped over. Battalion 51 arrived on scene within three minutes, established command and confirmed entrapment. The pilot was then rapidly extricated with assistance from Limerick Police and airport staff. Freedom Valley EMS arrived a minute later and immediately evaluated the pilot, who was then transported to an area hospital with non-life threatening conditions.
Chief 51, Rescue 51, Engine 51, Special Service 51, and Fire Police responded and quickly arrived on location. Mutual aid fire units were recalled. Limerick crews evaluated the damage and deployed absorbent materials to contain the plane's fluid leak. Fire extinguishers were positioned around the aircraft, and the Engine 51 team prepared foam in case it became necessary. Special Service 51 provided lighting for the scene. Fire Police set up flares for the airport to use to visually signal to other aircraft that the runway was temporarily shut down.
Around 9:20 pm, Chief Ken Shuler issued a press release at the airport gates, giving news agencies some details of the incident. A crane arrived around 10 pm to flip the plane right side up. Fire crews continued to stand by, prepared in the event of any issues during the operation. All fire personnel were released from the scene and made available at 10:42 pm, almost three and a half hours from the initial dispatch.
Officers and fire personnel on scene contacted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Eastern Region Operations Center, and the crash remains under investigation.
No part of this website, including photos, may be reproduced in whole or in part in any manner without written permission. Copyright © 2026 Limerick Fire Department. |
.jpg)
