BOWIE — Three people died in a single-engine plane crash late Saturday night in Bowie, Maryland. The aircraft, identified as a single-engine Piper Cherokee, was carrying a pilot and two passengers, all adults.

The identities of the deceased have not been released, pending notification of their next of kin. The plane was traveling from Ocean City, New Jersey, to Montgomery County Airpark in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Prince George’s County Public Safety Communications received an iPhone crash alert at 11:53 p.m., indicating a crash near the intersection of Route 50 and Route 301.

First responders located the aircraft around 3:45 a.m. on Sunday in a wooded area off Scarlet Oak Terrace. The crash site is near a residential townhome community and a playground. Debris from the crash covered approximately 100 feet in the wooded area behind a fence, according to Maryland State Police spokesperson Elena Russo.

Police believe the plane is associated with a flight school in Montgomery County and may have been involved in a training flight. Russo stated that authorities had no information from eyewitnesses or individuals who heard anything prior to the iPhone crash alert. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will lead the investigation into the crash.

An NTSB representative from a field office was expected to arrive at the scene Sunday morning. Licensed pilot Dan Ronan described the Piper Cherokee as a frequently flown and safe aircraft. He said it was a relatively simple plane to fly due to its fixed landing gear and simple engine compared to more complex aircraft.

Ronan added that flying conditions on Saturday night were favorable, with cool temperatures and good visibility. He said investigators would examine the plane's condition, mechanical records, and the lives of those involved to identify any human factors that may have contributed to the accident.