Incident at Cross Keys Airport: Skydiving Plane Skids Off Runway

In an incident involving a skydiving plane at Cross Keys Airport in Williamstown, New Jersey, five of the fifteen passengers on board sustained injuries when the aircraft overshot the runway on Wednesday.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that the aircraft, identified as a Cessna 208B, lost control on the tarmac of Gloucester County Airport located on North Tuckahoe Road around 5:15 p.m. Eastern Time. An investigation by the FAA is currently underway to determine the cause.

The injured individuals have been transported to Cooper University Hospital in Camden, New Jersey, according to hospital representatives.

The occurrence was labeled a 'mass casualty incident' as per a social media post shortly after 6 p.m.

This airfield, which is privately owned, is well-known for its dual function: serving private passenger flights and offering skydiving training.

Notably, this same model of aircraft was involved in a previous mishap in July 2023 at an airport in Suffolk, Virginia.

The final report by the National Transportation Safety Board on the Virginia event cited pilot error as the culprit, noting that an ineffective landing maneuver led to the aircraft veering off the landing strip. The plane's nose gear collapsed upon impact, causing substantial damage.

The federal agency emphasized that there were no reported technical issues that might have interfered with the plane's functionality during that previous occurrence.

Emergency services in Gloucester County have urged the public to keep away from the vicinity to allow for the investigation to proceed without impediments.