SEDONA, Ariz. --
A privately chartered jet skidded off the runway and over a cliff at Sedona Airport Wednesday afternoon.
Sedona Airport sits atop a mesa in West Sedona, one of the highest, flattest points in the area. Naziah Hazime, chief of the Sedona Fire District, told CBS 5 News that the plane went off the south end of the runway and slid down about 300 feet into the trees below.
Five people were on board- three passengers and two crewmembers. Hazime said emergency workers escorted all five back up the hill to be assessed at the top. All the injuries were minor, he said.
"JetSuite's priority is the safety of its passengers and crew," said Alex Wilcox, the company's CEO. "Upon ensuring that no injuries were present, we immediately began taking the appropriate steps to ensure the safety of our customers and crew."
The plane had been scheduled for an 80 minute flight from San Jose to Sedona. It left one hour late, according to the flight tracking website www.flightaware.com.
The cause of the accident has not been determined. The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration will be investigating.
Copyright 2011 by KPHO.com. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.