Six people hospitalized after skydiving plane crashes in Tennessee
TULLAHOMA, Tenn. (WSMV/Gray News) - A plane carrying a group of skydivers crashed shortly after takeoff in Tennessee, injuring at least six engers.
The plane crashed in a field just at the end of the Tullahoma Regional Airport runway around 12:30 p.m. Sunday, officials said.
Debris was seen still covering the area on Monday which was blocked off by caution tape while federal investigators worked on the scene.
Skydive Tennessee told WSMV they owned and operated the plane that had to abort its takeoff and crashed. The plane had 19 licensed skydivers and one pilot onboard during the crash.
Officials said six people were taken to the hospital with minor injuries. Vanderbilt University Medical Center said one person was still in critical condition on Monday.
People who live near the crash site said they did not hear the plane hit anything and didn’t know anything was wrong until police, firefighters and medics sped down their street with sirens.
Joe O’Connor said they are used to hearing the skydiving planes take off and land several times every weekend, but never thought there would be a crash like this.
“We see the folks all the time as they are (skydiving),” O’Connor said. “They are giving the old ‘yippee ki yo ki yay’ as they come down and shout and holler and have fun. I’m very thankful no one was seriously injured.”
Skydiving instructor Justin Fuller was on the plane and said it “was truly a miracle” that everyone is alive after the crash. He was thankful for the first responders who were there within minutes to help everyone involved.
The skydiving company’s owner, Hans Paulsen, said all required maintenance and other checks had been completed and were current at the start of the flight.
He said Skydive Tennessee is fully cooperating with the Federal Aviation istration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on the investigation.
“We are incredibly grateful for the quick actions of our pilot, whose response likely prevented a far more serious outcome,” Paulsen said in a statement. “While the incident has understandably shaken us all, we’re relieved that no one was seriously injured.”
The NTSB said its investigation will include interviewing witnesses, gathering aircraft maintenance records and reviewing the pilot’s license, ratings and flight experience. The wreckage will be moved to a facility in Springfield in the coming days to be inspected as part of the preliminary report.
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