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A plane carrying 20 people crashed in the US state of Tennessee on Sunday, with some on board taken to hospital for injuries, according to state and federal officials.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol said on X that its troopers were assisting police “at the scene of a plane crash on Old Shelbyville Road” in the central Coffee County.
“Some have been airlifted to nearby hospitals. This is an active scene,” it said, adding that more updates would follow.
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Pictures on social media showed a small, white plane with its nose buried into the grass and its tail broken off behind it.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the plane was a de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter, and that it “crashed shortly after departing Tullahoma Regional Airport in Tennessee around 12:45 pm local time (1745 GMT) on Sunday.”
“Twenty people were on board. The FAA is investigating.”
Local media reported that the crashed plane was used for skydiving expeditions.
“There are some minor injuries,” the Tullahoma police said in a statement. “The scene is being secured by local authorities while FAA officials are en route to continue the investigation.”
At least three people aboard the aircraft were airlifted out of an abundance of caution to local hospitals to be treated, according to the FAA. The remainder of those aboard the plane were being evaluated.
The crash occurred around 12:30 p.m. local time, shortly after the aircraft departed from the Tullahoma Airport, according to the Tullahoma Police Department.
The plane, a de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft, crashed near the Tullahoma Regional Airport, the FAA said. The plane was carrying skydivers, according to the Tullahoma Police Department.
A photo released on social media by the Tennessee Highway Patrol showed the plane in the aftermath of the crash with its nose on the ground and one of its wings missing.
The cause of the crash is under investigation by the FAA.
