A Cessna 208B filled with a group of skydivers crashed into a wooded area at the Cross Keys Airport in Monroe Township, New Jersey.
According to the FAA, the single engine aircraft went off the end of the runway while departing the airport around 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 2. Fifteen people were on board the skydiving aircraft.
“It’s a really miracle under these circumstances especially crashing into a wooded area that there were no fatalities and we pray that remains true,” said Pablo Rojas, Associate at Podhurst Orseck.
Skydive Cross Keys, the skydiving company, told multiple media outlets in a statement that the pilot encountered mechanical issues that prompted an emergency landing.
Skydivers are often asked to sign waivers before takeoff, but attorneys at Podhurst Orseck say those waivers only go so far.
“They wouldn’t have signed a waiver as to the maintenance company which is what we would be primarily looking at and the manufacturer of the aircraft. So even if there was a waiver as to the operator of the aircraft that wouldn’t apply to the manufacturer or any maintenance providers,” said Lea Bucciero, Partner at Podhurst Orseck.
According to reporting by NBC Philadelphia, many of the victims were covered in jet fuel when they got out of the plane and had to be decontaminated before being taken to area hospitals.
“Quick representation really matters in these cases so the people on that plane have a voice early on in this investigation,” said Bucciero.
The National Transportation Safety Board said in a post on X that it is investigating the crash.
“As aviation attorneys we bring in our own experts because the hope is that the NTSB and the manufacturer will do an objective investigation,” said Rojas.
