A skydiving plane carrying 15 people crashed during the early stages of its flight after it went off the end of a runway at a small airport in southern New Jersey on Wednesday afternoon.
The authorities said the crash, which involved a Cessna 208B, occurred around 5:30 pm at Cross Keys Airport in Monroe Township, New Jersey, about 20 miles southeast of Philadelphia.
Three people with critical injuries were taken to the hospital by a helicopter, according to Andrew Halter of Gloucester County Emergency Management.
A spokeswoman for Cooper University Hospital in Camden, which has a Level One trauma center, said trauma surgeons were at the crash scene triaging the victims.
🚨🇺🇸 SKYDIVING PLANE CRASHES AT NEW JERSEY AIRPORT WITH 15 ABOARD, 5 HOSPITALIZED
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) July 2, 2025
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.
At least five victims… pic.twitter.com/SIPOIq6MUR
The spokeswoman, Wendy Marano, said three people were taken to the hospital’s trauma center. Eight others “with less severe injuries” were being treated in the emergency department and four people with “minimal injuries” were in the hospital’s waiting room awaiting care as of Wednesday evening.
The Cessna was leased to Skydive Cross Keys, according to Mr Halter. He added that the plane had “reported engine trouble prior to the crash,” but the specific cause is still under investigation.
🚨 SKYDIVING PLANE CRASH — MASS CASUALTY INCIDENT 🇺🇸
— Sarcasm Scoop (@sarcasm_scoop) July 3, 2025
A Cessna with 15 aboard CRASHED into woods near Cross Keys Airport (NJ) during skydiving ops on July 2 around 5:30 PM.
🔥 All hospitalized:
▪️3 serious
▪️8 moderate
▪️4 minor
Pilot had to be extracted from wreckage. FAA… pic.twitter.com/1X3les91dG
In a post on social media immediately after the crash, Gloucester County Emergency Management urged the public to avoid the area around the airport, citing a “mass casualty incident” after a plane crash. Several agencies were responding, it said.
6abc, a Philadelphia news station, showed footage of a frenetic emergency response on a rural road, including people being loaded onto stretchers.
On its website, Skydive Cross Keys says it is the “epicenter” of skydiving in the Northeast. The company offers tandem skydiving, lessons toward a certification and solo skydiving for those who are licensed, the site says.–New York Times
https://x.com/RT_com/status/1940561672269451584