Several Of The 11 Aboard Hurt

Eight people were hurt -- one seriously -- when a Pilatus Porter carrying a load of skydivers aloft crashed upon take-off at the airport in Deland, FL, Monday.

Authorities said the Pilatus PC-6 (file photo of type, below) was taking off with its seventh load of divers for the day when it reached an altitude of about 50-feet -- then banked sharply and plunged to the ground.

"The plane's landing gear was severely bent, and the aircraft lost one of its propellers. It also looked like a lot of weight had been exerted on the left wing, which was damaged," Deland Police Commander Randy Henderson told local reporters.

There's no immediate indication what caused the mishap. The NTSB is investigating.

FAA Preliminary Accident Report

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 7895J        Make/Model: PC6P      Description: PC-6 PORTER
  Date: 10/03/2005     Time: 1927

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Serious     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Substantial

LOCATION
  City: DELAND   State: FL   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  ACFT ON DEPARTURE, CRASHED, THERE WERE 11 PERSONS ON BOARD, ONE RECEIVED
  SERIOUS INJURIES, SEVEN SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES, DELAND, FL

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   0
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   0     Ser:   1     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:  10     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   7     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:           Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: NOT REPORTED

OTHER DATA

  Departed: DELAND, FL                  Dep Date:    Dep. Time:     
  Destination: DELAND, FL               Flt Plan: VFR          Wx Briefing: 
  Last Radio Cont: 
  Last Clearance: 

  FAA FSDO: ORLANDO, FL  (SO15)                   Entry date: 10/04/2005

FMI: www.ntsb.gov