WILLIAMSTOWN, N.J — Fourteen people were hospitalized after a single-engine skydiving plane went down on Wednesday in Gloucester County, New Jersey.
An incident at Cross Keys Airport involved a Cessna 208B with 15 individuals on board, as confirmed by a spokesperson from the Federal Aviation Administration. The situation is currently under investigation by the administration.
The Cessna took off at 5:25 p.m., circled back, and went down in the woods near the runway at Cross Keys airport.
At a press conference on Wednesday, it was disclosed that the pilot reported engine issues while the plane was ascending. However, the precise altitude of the aircraft at that moment has not yet been established.
Emergency vehicles flooded the scene, which can be seen from Philadelphia ABC station WPVI’s Chopper 6.
Upon the arrival of emergency teams, they discovered significant damage to the aircraft and numerous victims drenched in jet fuel, as stated by Andrew Halter from Gloucester County Emergency Management.
“Patients were decontaminated prior to being transported to the hospital. There were 15 souls on board in the aircraft, including the pilot,” Halter said.
Officials said 14 people, including the pilot, were hospitalized for various injuries. Three people who were airlifted from the scene were reported to be in critical condition. Halter said the other injuries appear to be minor and one of the people on the plane refused treatment at the scene.
According to investigators, the pilot reported engine trouble before the crash occurred.
“The pilot was reportedly in an ascent at that point, and again reported some engine trouble, and that’s when he was trying to circle back to make it back down onto the ground but was unable to do so,” said Halter.
The skydiving business was at the Cross Keys airport in Williamstown, Gloucester County.
The Cessna 208B plane is owned by Arne Aviation LLC and is leased to Skydive Cross Keys in Gloucester County.
The exact cause of the crash is still under investigation.
“It’s amazing that at this point there are no fatalities reported. There are some injuries, again reported to be severe or critical. Again, people received tremendous medical evaluation and treatment on scene,” Halter said.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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