What was meant to be a thrilling Sunday in the skies over Missouri ended in tragedy when a small aircraft crashed to the ground almost as soon as it left the runway. The plane had taken off for a skydiving jump, but no one aboard survived — a total of 12 people lost their lives.
Down Just After Takeoff
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the crash happened near Butler Memorial Airport. The town of Butler sits roughly 60 miles south of Kansas City. The aircraft had barely begun gaining altitude when, only a short while after takeoff, it went down. Early reports made clear that everyone on board had been killed.
11 Skydivers and One Pilot Among the Dead
A spokesperson for Bates County Emergency Management told TrendKia that the victims included 11 skydivers and the plane's pilot. All of them were on a skydiving mission, and the aircraft was expected to climb to its planned altitude before the jump — but the crash occurred before it could get there.
The Aircraft Involved
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the plane that crashed was a Pacific Aerospace P-750 model. It had departed from Butler Memorial Airport at around 11:35 a.m. on Sunday. The FAA added that no air traffic control service was operating at the location at the time of the crash. For now, the actual cause remains unknown.
NTSB to Lead the Investigation
The FAA has confirmed that the lead investigation into the crash will now be handled by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Investigators are working to determine whether a technical malfunction, weather conditions, or some other factor was behind the disaster. The crash site has been sealed off and the wreckage is being examined closely.
