• Source:JND

New Jersey plane crash updates: A skydiving aircraft carrying 15 people crashed after overshooting the runway during takeoff at Cross Keys Airport in Monroe Township, New Jersey, on Wednesday evening, officials said. The incident occurred around 5:30 p.m. local time when a Cessna 208B aircraft was departing from the airport, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement to Fox News Digital. According to the FAA, the aircraft was being used for skydiving purposes and had 15 individuals on board at the time of the crash, Fox News reported.

"Mass casualty incident"

Gloucester County Emergency Management described the incident as a "mass casualty incident" at the airport. Hospital authorities said five injured individuals were expected to be transported to Cooper University Hospital in Camden. The update was shared by Wendy Marano, spokesperson for the hospital, to Fox Philadelphia. Further details are awaited, and the FAA has initiated an investigation into the cause of the crash.

“The plane did try to circle back and attempt a landing we are told but was unsuccessful in that attempt,” news agency AP quoted Andrew Halter, with Gloucester County Emergency Management, as saying during a news conference Wednesday night.

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New Jersey plane crash: All passengers survived

The incident resulted in a range of injuries, from minor to critical, with the plane suffering significant damage. According to Halter, some passengers were covered in jet fuel and underwent decontamination before receiving medical attention. Despite the severity of the crash, Halter considered it remarkable that all 15 individuals on board survived, with some sustaining only minor injuries.

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Aerial footage revealed the plane's wreckage in the woods, surrounded by emergency responders and vehicles. Hospital spokesperson Marano reported that four patients with minimal injuries were awaiting further evaluation, with medical teams from the hospital's EMS and trauma department present at the scene.

(With inputs from agencies)