Fifteen people were rushed to hospital after a skydiving plane veered off the runway and crashed into nearby woods near a southern New Jersey airport on Wednesday evening, according to authorities.
The crash occurred at Cross Keys Airport, around 21 miles southeast of Philadelphia and it involved a Cessna 208B aircraft carrying 15 people. Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson infromed that the aircraft is currently under investigation.
Aerial footage of the crashed plane shows it in the woods, with several pieces of debris nearby. Firetrucks and other emergency vehicles surrounded the scene.
🚨🇺🇸 SKYDIVING PLANE CRASHES AT NEW JERSEY AIRPORT WITH 15 ABOARD, 5 HOSPITALIZED
A small aircraft carrying approximately 15 people crashed in wooded area near Cross Keys Airport in Monroe Township, triggering a mass casualty response at 5:30 PM Wednesday.
According to hospital spokesperson Wendy A. Marano, three individuals are being assessed at the trauma center of Cooper University Hospital in Camden, New Jersey. Eight others with less serious injuries are receiving care in the emergency department, while four more patients with “minimal injuries” are awaiting further evaluation. She, however, wasn’t able to provide the exact nature of the injuries.
Members of the hospital’s EMS and trauma department were at the crash site, she said.
A person who answered the phone at Cross Keys Airport on Wednesday said he had no information and referred questions to Skydive Cross Keys, a commercial skydiving business located at the airport. Skydive Cross Keys didn’t immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press requesting comment.
Gloucester County Emergency Management warned the public on its Facebook page to avoid the area in order to let emergency vehicles access the site.
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