A part of a wing the size of a car door fell from a plane flying over the campus of the Montgomery County Public Safety Training Academy in Gaithersburg on April 22, according to county officials.
On Tuesday, Montgomery County Councilmember Dawn Luedtke (D-Dist. 7) sent a letter to the Baltimore branch of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) asking for an investigation of the incident.
According to Luedtke’s letter, a wing tip from a Piper PA-44 Seminole aircraft with tail number N302VM was found at the training academy at 8751 Snouffer School Road in Gaithersburg. The plane had just taken off from the Montgomery County Airpark in Gaithersburg. NBC4 first reported about the incident.
Officers at the training academy observed a part fall from an aircraft at about 4:05 p.m. that day, according to police spokesperson Casandra Tressler. No injuries or damage have been reported.
“This facility, housing our police and fire and rescue training facilities, is near numerous residential neighborhoods and commercial properties,” Luedtke wrote in her letter to the FAA Baltimore Federal Standards District Office. “If this part fell off an airborne aircraft, it is deeply concerning and merits serious investigation and corrective measures. We are fortunate there are no reported injuries related to the incident.”
Luedtke requested information about the equipment failure, the operator and origin of the aircraft, when the aircraft was last inspected, what inspection requirements exist and compliance mechanisms for safety.
The Montgomery County Airpark and the FAA Baltimore Federal Standards District Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment Monday morning.