Breaking: Skydiving Plane Crashes Into Woods Near New Jersey Airport, 15 Injured

Last Updated on July 28, 2026 by Daniel Globe

On July 2, 2025, a Cessna 208B skydiving aircraft lost engine power during its climb and returned toward Cross Keys Airport in Monroe Township, New Jersey. The aircraft landed near the end of Runway 27, continued beyond the pavement, and struck trees. All 15 occupants survived, although the National Transportation Safety Board later classified 12 injuries as serious and three as minor.

What Happened at Cross Keys Airport?

According to the NTSB preliminary report for accident ERA25LA254, Cessna 208B N716MM departed Cross Keys Airport at approximately 5:14 p.m. on July 2, 2025. The accident occurred about 15 minutes later, at approximately 5:29 p.m.

During the climb, at about 3,000 feet mean sea level, a pilot reported a loss of engine power. The crew attempted to glide the aircraft back to Runway 27. The airplane approached the runway fast, floated above it, and touched down near the departure end.

The aircraft then traveled beyond the runway and struck trees about 700 feet past the pavement. It continued approximately 250 feet through the wooded area before coming to rest upright.

Verified Flight Timeline

1. 4:23 p.m.: The aircraft departed on an earlier skydiving flight that lasted about 18 minutes and was completed without incident.
2. Before the accident flight: Records reviewed by investigators showed that the aircraft had been fueled with 44.9 gallons of Jet-A, bringing the fuel load to 800 pounds before the earlier flight.
3. 5:14 p.m.: The accident flight departed with approximately 700 pounds of fuel aboard.
4. During the climb: At approximately 3,000 feet mean sea level, a pilot reported a loss of engine power.
5. Emergency return: The aircraft glided toward Cross Keys Airport’s 3,500-foot-long, 50-foot-wide Runway 27.
6. 5:29 p.m.: The airplane landed near the runway end, overran the pavement, struck trees, and came to rest upright in the woods.

Injuries and Medical Response

The aircraft carried 15 people: two commercial pilots and 13 passengers. The NTSB classified the injuries as follows:

• Two pilots: Both seriously injured
• Ten passengers: Seriously injured
• Three passengers: Minor injuries
• Fatalities: None

The official NTSB classification lists 12 serious injuries, three minor injuries, and no fatalities.

Initial hospital information released on the night of the crash described three people being evaluated in Cooper University Hospital’s trauma center, eight receiving care in its emergency department, and four awaiting further evaluation. Those figures reflected real-time triage and should not be confused with the NTSB’s later injury classifications.

Contemporaneous reporting by The Associated Press said some occupants were covered in jet fuel and had to be decontaminated. Local responders used the wooded access routes to move patients to ambulances and medical aircraft.

Aircraft Background and the 2023 Accident

The accident aircraft was Cessna 208B registration N716MM. The 2025 preliminary report lists ARNE Aviation LLC as its operator. Reports at the time said the Virginia company supplied the aircraft for Skydive Cross Keys operations.

The same aircraft was involved in a separate landing accident at Suffolk Executive Airport in Virginia on July 3, 2023. During that flight, the nose landing gear collapsed at touchdown and the airplane left the side of the runway. The pilot was not injured.

In its final report for the 2023 accident, the NTSB determined that the pilot did not maintain an adequate landing flare. The operator reported no pre-impact mechanical malfunction or failure that would have prevented normal operation.

What Investigators Found in the Wreckage

The 2025 accident caused substantial damage to the fuselage and wings. The NTSB’s preliminary examination documented several findings:

• Three of the aircraft’s four propeller blades had separated.
• The remaining propeller blade was found in a feathered position.
• Both sides of the fuselage were crushed inward.
• The pilots’ five-point harnesses and the cabin harnesses remained intact, although rescuers cut some during the response.
• The wing fuel tanks and reservoir header tank were breached.
• Fuel recovered from the aircraft was clear and showed no visible debris.
• No debris was observed on the engine’s metal chip detector.
• Initial rotation of the propeller confirmed continuity through several drivetrain components.
• A cockpit multifunction display was retained for data download.
• The Honeywell TPE331 engine was prepared for shipment to a manufacturer facility for a more detailed teardown examination.

These observations are preliminary facts. Clear fuel, drivetrain continuity, or the absence of visible debris in one component does not by itself prove why the reported power loss occurred.

Crash Site and Emergency Operations

The aircraft left the runway, struck trees about 700 feet beyond the pavement, and traveled approximately 250 feet through the wooded area. It came to rest upright.

The Gloucester County Office of Emergency Management declared a mass-casualty incident to coordinate access, rescue, medical triage, and transportation. The wooded location made the response more difficult, and contemporaneous reports said crews cut trees to reach parts of the wreckage.

Fire apparatus and ambulances staged along the available dirt routes while responders moved injured occupants from the aircraft to treatment areas. The breached fuel tanks also required responders to manage fuel exposure during patient care.

What Is Known About the Cause?

Facts established in the preliminary report

• A pilot reported a loss of engine power during the climb.
• The crew attempted to glide back to Runway 27.
• The aircraft approached fast, floated, and touched down near the runway end.
• The aircraft overran the runway and struck trees.
• The airframe and engine sustained substantial damage.

Questions that remain unanswered

The preliminary report does not explain why the engine lost power. It also does not determine whether maintenance, a component failure, fuel-system operation, crew actions, or another factor caused or contributed to the accident.

The NTSB recorded visual meteorological conditions at the accident site. Visibility was 10 miles, and winds were reported at seven knots from 210 degrees. The report lists these conditions as factual information but does not make a final finding about their relevance.

Investigation Status

At the time of this update on July 28, 2026, the publicly available report for NTSB accident ERA25LA254 remains preliminary. It contains factual information gathered during the initial investigation but does not include a probable-cause determination.

The report states that the NTSB did not travel to the accident scene. The wreckage was nevertheless recovered and examined after removal from the site. The FAA, Textron Aviation, Honeywell, and Hartzell Propeller were listed as participating organizations or representatives.

The NTSB investigative process can include reviews of aircraft records, maintenance documents, electronic data, component examinations, interviews, and other evidence. A final report ordinarily presents the agency’s analysis, findings, and probable cause.

Summary of Verified Facts

• Date and time: July 2, 2025, at approximately 5:29 p.m. EDT
• Location: Cross Keys Airport, Monroe Township, New Jersey
• Aircraft: Cessna 208B, registration N716MM
• Operation: Part 91 skydiving flight
• Occupants: Two commercial pilots and 13 passengers
• Injuries: 12 serious and three minor
• Fatalities: None
• Reported in flight: Loss of engine power at about 3,000 feet mean sea level
• Landing sequence: Fast approach, float, touchdown near the runway end, and runway overrun
• Impact path: Trees approximately 700 feet beyond the runway, followed by about 250 feet of travel through the wooded area
• Aircraft damage: Substantial damage to the fuselage and wings
• Investigation status: Preliminary; no probable cause published in the available report

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

The verified record shows that Cessna 208B N716MM experienced a reported loss of engine power during its July 2, 2025 climb from Cross Keys Airport. The aircraft returned to Runway 27 but landed near the runway end, continued into the woods, and sustained substantial damage.

All 15 occupants survived, although 12 suffered injuries that the NTSB classified as serious. Investigators recovered the aircraft, retained electronic equipment for data review, and arranged further examination of the engine.

The reported power loss is an established part of the sequence, but its cause—and the accident’s probable cause—cannot be stated until the NTSB completes its analysis and publishes a final report.

Sources

1. NTSB Preliminary Report ERA25LA254 — accident timeline, occupants, injuries, runway overrun, wreckage findings, weather, and investigation status
2. FAA Statements on Aviation Accidents and Incidents — initial July 2, 2025 Cross Keys Airport statement
3. NTSB Final Report ERA23LA292 — N716MM’s 2023 landing-gear accident and probable cause
4. Associated Press: Cross Keys Emergency-Landing Update — initial hospital response, decontamination, and rescue details
5. National Transportation Safety Board Investigative Process — how preliminary evidence develops into findings and a final probable-cause report