WILLIAMSTOWN, N.J. – According to officials, a small aircraft crashed on the 1600 block of Tuckahoe Road, near Cross Keys Airport, on Wednesday, around 5:30 in the evening and 15 people on board were injured in the crash.
What we know:
Officials in Gloucester County reported a skydiving airplane crashed near Cross Keys Airport Wednesday, around 5:30 p.m.
15 people were on board the aircraft, including the pilot, when the plane went down in a large, wooded area.
According to authorities, the plane was climbing after takeoff when the pilot reported engine trouble. The pilot then attempted to land the plane, but went off the runway and crashed.
Gloucester County Emergency Management said multiple agencies were assisting with the ‘mass casualty incident’ at Cross Keys Airport in Monroe Twp.
Dig deeper:
Of the 15 people on the plane, an official said most of them were covered in jet fuel as they got out of the crashed plane.
Three people were listed in critical condition at Cooper University Hospital’s trauma center in Camden, New Jersey, Wendy A. Marano, a spokesperson for the hospital, said. Eight other people with less severe injuries were at Cooper’s emergency room. Three other people were also being treated for lesser injuries. One person at the scene refused treatment.
Members of the hospital’s EMS and trauma department traveled to the crash site, she said.
An FAA spokesperson said the plane was carrying 15 people. They stated the plane was a Cessna 208B and it went off the end of the runway while taking off from Cross Keys Airport. The plane is a skydiving aircraft.
What’s next:
Investigators are bringing in lights and heavy equipment overnight to remove the plane’s wreckage. Local first responders recently trained at this airport for events like this.
This is an ongoing investigation, with the FAA in charge of the investigation. NTSB was also notified.
The Source: Information for this article was provided by the Associated Press, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Washington Township Fire Department and Gloucester County Emergency Management.
