A routine skydiving flight turned into a rescue mission when a plane crashed into woods near Cross Keys Airport on Wednesday evening. The Cessna 208B, carrying 15 people, went off the runway about 5:30 p.m. local time, according to a Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson.
Cross Keys Airport sits about 21 miles southeast of Philadelphia. Now it’s the site of a mass casualty response.
Aerial shots showed the aircraft wedged between trees, its body broken, debris scattered around it like confetti nobody wanted. Firetrucks lined the dirt path leading into the woods. Stretchers moved through the trees.
Helicopter video from CNN affiliate WPVI showed medical teams carrying stretchers out to helicopters waiting to lift the injured to safety. It was a tense scene.
“Minimal injuries” and trauma cases
Wendy A. Marano, spokesperson for Cooper University Hospital, said, “Three people are being evaluated at Cooper University Hospital's trauma centre in Camden, New Jersey, and eight people with less severe injuries are being treated in its emergency department.”
She added, “Four other patients also with ‘minimal injuries’ are waiting for further evaluation.” She could not say exactly what injuries people had suffered.
Marano confirmed the hospital’s own EMS and trauma staff were present at the crash site.
Officials warn public to stay away
The Gloucester County Office of Emergency Management called it a “mass casualty incident” in a Facebook post. They asked people to steer clear. Their message was blunt: if the road’s blocked, ambulances get stuck.
The plane itself has history. It belongs to a company in Virginia. In 2023, the same Cessna 208B’s nose gear collapsed during landing. The National Transportation Safety Board blamed pilot error for that earlier mishap.
Data from FlightRadar24 shows that just before this latest crash, the plane was dropping fast — nearly 3,008 feet every minute — before radar contact ended.
Who was at the controls?
So far, no word on who was flying when things went wrong this time. Cross Keys Airport staff gave no comment and directed questions to Skydive Cross Keys. That business did not reply to emails from The Associated Press.
The FAA says its investigators are on it. A spokesperson confirmed, “The FAA is investigating the incident and will post a preliminary report, usually within one business day.”
The National Transportation Safety Board told CNN it too is gathering details.
While the cause remains unknown, one thing is clear — families and skydiving enthusiasts alike now wait for answers.
Cross Keys Airport sits about 21 miles southeast of Philadelphia. Now it’s the site of a mass casualty response.
Aerial shots showed the aircraft wedged between trees, its body broken, debris scattered around it like confetti nobody wanted. Firetrucks lined the dirt path leading into the woods. Stretchers moved through the trees.
Helicopter video from CNN affiliate WPVI showed medical teams carrying stretchers out to helicopters waiting to lift the injured to safety. It was a tense scene.
“Minimal injuries” and trauma cases
Wendy A. Marano, spokesperson for Cooper University Hospital, said, “Three people are being evaluated at Cooper University Hospital's trauma centre in Camden, New Jersey, and eight people with less severe injuries are being treated in its emergency department.”
She added, “Four other patients also with ‘minimal injuries’ are waiting for further evaluation.” She could not say exactly what injuries people had suffered.
Marano confirmed the hospital’s own EMS and trauma staff were present at the crash site.
Officials warn public to stay away
The Gloucester County Office of Emergency Management called it a “mass casualty incident” in a Facebook post. They asked people to steer clear. Their message was blunt: if the road’s blocked, ambulances get stuck.
The plane itself has history. It belongs to a company in Virginia. In 2023, the same Cessna 208B’s nose gear collapsed during landing. The National Transportation Safety Board blamed pilot error for that earlier mishap.
Data from FlightRadar24 shows that just before this latest crash, the plane was dropping fast — nearly 3,008 feet every minute — before radar contact ended.
Who was at the controls?
So far, no word on who was flying when things went wrong this time. Cross Keys Airport staff gave no comment and directed questions to Skydive Cross Keys. That business did not reply to emails from The Associated Press.
The FAA says its investigators are on it. A spokesperson confirmed, “The FAA is investigating the incident and will post a preliminary report, usually within one business day.”
The National Transportation Safety Board told CNN it too is gathering details.
While the cause remains unknown, one thing is clear — families and skydiving enthusiasts alike now wait for answers.
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