Engine Trouble After Takeoff Led To Return To Airport

The pilot of a Cessna 208B Supervan 900 and his fourteen skydiver passengers survived when the aircraft experienced engine trouble shortly after takeoff and the pilot elected to return to the airport, but overshot the runway and came down into trees at the Cross Keys Airport (17N) in Cross Keys, New Jersey.

Fourteen of the fifteen people on board suffered injuries with three of them critical and two serious. The aircraft is owned and operated by Arne Aviation for Skydive Cross Keys and sustained substantial damage.

The flight took off from runway 27 at 5:19 pm EDT on Wednesday July 2, 2025. The pilot reported engine trouble shortly after that and initiated a turn to return to the airport. The aircraft had attained an altitude of 3,200 feet MSL, about 3,000 feet AGL above the airport’s elevation of 160 feet.

ADS-B data show that as the pilot was on approach to runway 27 he performed a left 360-degree orbit to lose altitude for the final approach. However the aircraft overshot the runway, went down and impacted trees beyond the departure end of runway 27. The runway is 3,500 feet long and 50 feet wide.

Weather conditions at the time of the accident were: Wind 2180 at 8 knots, visibility 10 sm, few clouds at 3,500 feet, scattered ceiling at 7,000 feet, broken layers at 23,000 and 35,000 feet, temperature 30 0 C, dew point 210 C, altimeter 29.85 inches of mercury.

FMI:  https://www.facebook.com/CrossKeysairport/