The sophomore student was returning to campus from spring break, according to the university.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A Cedarville University student was one of five family members who were on a single-engine airplane when it crashed and burst into flames near an airport in suburban Pennsylvania on Sunday.
Three of the five family members injured were sent to a burn center for treatment. No one was killed in the fiery crash and no one was injured on the ground, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
The plane was heading to Springfield, Ohio.
Judah White, a sophomore from Manheim, Pennsylvania, was returning to campus from spring break, according to the university.
“We thank the Lord that, by God’s grace, all survived this accident,” said Thomas White, president of Cedarville University. “However, we understand from media reports that some of the passengers are currently receiving care in a burn unit at a nearby hospital.”
The fiery crash happened around 3 p.m. just south of Lancaster Airport in Manheim Township, according to police chief Duane Fisher.
10TV’s sister station WNEP reports that Matt White, a longtime aviation advocate, was the pilot of the plane. He was reportedly conducting a personal flight on a privately owned aircraft for personal family travel, according to Jonathan Still with Venture Jets.
The plane burst into flames as it crashed shortly after takeoff Sunday from Lancaster Airport and was destroyed. Cars were ignited when it landed in a parking lot of the Brethren Village retirement community in Lititz, some 75 miles (120 kilometers) west of Philadelphia. Residents there briefly had to shelter in place.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it had opened an investigation and was working with the FAA, which had someone at the site to examine it and gather documentation.
Investigators will look into the pilot, the aircraft and the operating environment, the NTSB said. That will include gathering recordings of air traffic control communications, flight tracking data, witness statements, surveillance video and aircraft maintenance records, it said.
A preliminary report is expected within 30 days of the accident, while an investigation can take 12 to 24 months to complete, it said.
You can read Cedarville University president’s full statement below:
Dear Cedarville Family,
We have learned that Judah White, a sophomore cyber operations major from Manheim, Pennsylvania, was traveling back to campus from spring break on the small aircraft that crashed near Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
We thank the Lord that, by God’s grace, all survived this accident. However, we understand from media reports that some of the passengers are currently receiving care in a burn unit at a nearby hospital.
Please join me in lifting up Judah, his family, and everyone involved in this accident to the Lord. We are praying for full recoveries and for God’s peace and strength to surround them.
In Christ,
