Fifteen people were taken to hospital after a skydiving aircraft veered off the runway and crashed into woodland near a southern New Jersey airport on Wednesday evening, authorities have confirmed.

The crash occurred at Cross Keys Airport, located roughly 21 miles (34 kilometres) southeast of Philadelphia. The aircraft involved was a Cessna 208B carrying 15 people, according to a spokesperson for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which has launched an investigation into the incident.

Aerial images showed the wreckage of the aircraft among trees, with debris scattered nearby. Emergency services, including fire engines and other response vehicles, were seen surrounding the crash site.

Three of those on board were taken to the trauma centre at Cooper University Hospital in Camden, New Jersey, where they are being assessed, hospital spokesperson Wendy A. Marano said. Eight others are being treated for less serious injuries in the hospital's emergency department. A further four individuals with minor injuries are awaiting evaluation, she added, though details of the injuries have not yet been released.

Personnel from the hospital’s emergency medical and trauma teams were dispatched to the scene to assist with triage and treatment.

A representative who answered the phone at Cross Keys Airport on Wednesday said they had no further information and referred enquiries to Skydive Cross Keys, a commercial skydiving company operating at the airfield. The company has not yet responded to requests for comment.