Fifteen people were taken to a hospital when a skydiving plane went off a runway at an airport in southern New Jersey and crashed in a wooded area Wednesday evening.
The crash at the Cross Keys Airport, about 21 miles (33.8 kilometers) southeast of Philadelphia, involved a Cessna 208B carrying 15 people, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, who said the incident is under investigation.
Aerial footage of the crashed plane shows it in a wooded area, with several pieces of debris scattered nearby. Firetrucks and other emergency vehicles surrounded the scene.
Three people were being evaluated at Cooper University Hospital’s trauma center in Camden, N.J., while eight people with less severe injuries were being treated in its emergency department, according to hospital spokesperson Wendy A. Marano.
Four other patients also with “minimal injuries” were waiting for further evaluation, she said. She wasn’t able to provide the exact nature of any of the injuries.
A person who answered the phone at Cross Keys Airport on Wednesday said he had no information on the crash and referred questions to Skydive Cross Keys, a commercial skydiving business located at the airport. Skydive Cross Keys did not immediately to an email 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.
