Residents with debris from Wednesday's plane crash near Joint Base Andrews should hang tight.
Thursday's rain delayed the pick up of those items, but investigators will need to collect the debris as they piece together their investigation.
The smell of jet fuel was pretty strong in Stephen Matthews backyard.
“Yes, it’s pretty strong. That is the fuselage and of course the fuel went into the soil obviously so I’m a bit concerned. My theory is that there must have been an explosion on the aircraft itself,” he said.
The Safety Review Board is still investigating. Some pieces of debris were found in Fort Washington when the plane crash landed in the woods near Joint Base Andrews.
Residents helped tell the story with pictures and video of how this heroic pilot dumped his fuel, steered his plane toward the woods, and parachuted himself to safety.
Investigators will not release this pilot's name until their review is complete.
In the meantime, residents with debris should not handle or move the items, instead report them to 301-981-2002.
There is no immediate danger but a spokesperson at Joint Base Andrews said, “there are always hazards” with plane crashes.
Firefighters said the jet fuel neighbors in Fort Washington smell poses no “immediate safety threat” but it’s best to avoid touching it and flammables should be kept away. It could take weeks for the smell to dissipate.
