The call came in around 5:25 p.m. for a mass casualty incident at Cross Keys Airport, located on the 1500 block of North Tuckahoe Road in Williamstown.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the plane went off the end of the runway while departing the airport.
According to investigators, the pilot reported engine trouble before the plane crashed into a tree near the runway.
When rescue crews arrived, they found extensive damage to the plane and many victims covered in fuel, according to Andrew Halter with Gloucester County Emergency Management.
"Patients were decontaminated prior to being transported to the hospital. There were 15 souls on board in the aircraft, including the pilot," he said.
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The view from Chopper 6 showed a massive response with multiple victims being taken away on stretchers.
Eight patients were admitted to Cooper University Hospital in Camden.
Three of them are currently in the trauma intensive care unit in critical but stable condition, while the other five were treated in the emergency department and were also admitted in serious condition.
The victims at Cooper are all males. They are being treated for extremity injuries, fractures, and blunt force trauma.
The rest of the injuries were considered minor. One person on the plane refused medical treatment.
Investigators will continue combing through the wreckage on Thursday, which is in a wooded area near the airport.
The Cessna 208B plane is owned by Arne Aviation LLC and is leased to Skydive Cross Keys in Gloucester County.
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The NTSB said Thursday it has opened an investigation into the crash. Investigators will look into weather conditions, witness statements and aircraft maintenance records.
They will also look for any issues that could have impacted the pilot's ability to fly the plane safely. The NTSB will also look at the pilot's license, ratings and recency of flight experience.
Anyone who witnessed the crash, or those who have surveillance video or other information that could be relevant to the investigation, are asked to contact the NTSB at witness@ntsb.gov.
A full investigation into the crash could take 12 to 24 months.
Some residents are concerned about future flights and the skydivers' safety.
"Some of them planes come so close down to our house that it's crazy. I have kids in there. Who knows if they're going to crash into our house," said Sierra Kelly of Williamstown.