Pilot on 911 Call from Dangling Plane that Crashed into Power Lines: 'If We Get Some Wind ... We're Goners'

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Officials have released a 911 call made by the pilot of a plane that became stuck after it crashed into power lines in Maryland.

Pilot Patrick Merkle, 66, of Washington, D.C., and passenger Janet Williams, 66, of Marrero, La., were flying in a Mooney Mike 20P single engine plane when it crashed into the Montgomery County power line on Sunday evening, Maryland State Police previously said.

Rescue crews brought the pair to safety using specialty crane/boom trucks shortly after midnight on Monday, according to officials.

Before they were rescued, Merkle called 911 for help, according to NBC affiliate WRC-TV and CBS affiliate WUSA. He told Montgomery County Public Safety employee Laurel Manion that the plane had flown into an electrical tower northwest of Gaithersburg Airport. "Believe it or not, the aircraft is pinned in the tower," he said.

"Fortunately, we don't have a lot of wind," the pilot also said on the call, according to WRC-TV, "but if we get some wind going, we're goners."

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During the call, Merkle said the crash was due to "a visibility issue" in the air.

"We were looking for the airport," he explained. "I descended to the minimum altitude and then, apparently, I got down a little bit lower than I should have."

Manion stayed on the line with the pair for approximately 90 minutes, WRC-TV reported. She said she asked them not to leave the plane as the wind became stronger, and did what she could to keep Merkle calm.

Lieutenant John Lann said Merkle "was trying to climb out the window" when he arrived at the scene, according to WTOP-FM.

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Williams was removed first due to the severity of her injuries, followed by Merkle a few moments later, per the report.

Fire officials said the victims were treated for serious injuries after Monday morning's rescue, according to WRC-TV. At least one of the crash survivors has reportedly been released.

Manion told the station that she is "really, really glad" that both victims escaped the dangerous situation. "That was the ultimate goal," she added.

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Roughly 120,000 customers lost power Sunday as a result of Sunday's crash, the Pepco utility company previously said.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is expected to release a preliminary report about the crash in December, according to WRC-TV.