A skydiving plane with 15 people onboard went off the end of a runway at a New Jersey airport Wednesday evening, and multiple people have been taken to a hospital, authorities said.
The Cessna 208B crashed into the woods at Cross Keys Airport, southeast of Philadelphia, around 5:30 p.m. local time, according to a preliminary statement from the Federal Aviation Administration.
The crash was described as a “mass casualty incident” in a Facebook post by the Gloucester County Office of Emergency management.
At least 15 people are being evaluated or treated at Cooper University Hospital in Camden, New Jersey, according to a spokesperson. Three people are being evaluated in the trauma unit, eight people with less severe injuries are being treated in the hospital’s emergency department and four patients with minor injuries are in a waiting room awaiting further evaluation.
The spokesperson did not provide details on the nature of their injuries.
Helicopter video from CNN affiliate WPVI showed multiple stretchers being wheeled out of the woods to medical evacuation helicopters.
Flight tracking data from FlightRadar24 indicates the plane was dropping rapidly at a rate of 3,008 feet per minute shortly before the tracking data ceased.
The aircraft involved belonged to a Virginia company, according to the website. It was involved in a 2023 incident in which the nose gear collapsed during landing due to a pilot error, according to records from the National Transportation Safety Board, which investigated the incident.
It’s not clear who was flying the plane Wednesday in New Jersey.
The FAA is investigating the incident and will post a preliminary report, usually within one business day. The NTSB also told CNN it is gathering information on the incident.
CNN’s Danya Gainor contributed to this report.