12 killed in skydiving plane crash in Missouri
Twelve people were killed when a skydiving plane crashed in Missouri on June 14, according to the Bates County Emergency Management Agency.
Twelve people were killed when a skydiving plane crashed in Missouri on June 14, according to the Bates County Emergency Management Agency.
Bates County Emergency Management Director Dennis Jacobs told USA TODAY that 11 people on board the plane were skydivers and one was the pilot. The plane, identified by the Federal Aviation Administration as a Pacific Aerospace P750, crashed shortly after takeoff from Butler Memorial Airport in Butler, Missouri, about 105 miles south of Kansas City.
Jacobs, who is also the airport manager, said it was the deadliest accident in the airport’s nearly 50-year history.
Of the 11 skydivers, nine were experienced and two were participating in the tandem jump, Jacobs said, adding that the crash was witnessed by multiple horrified witnesses, including loved ones of the passengers.
“One of the women there was watching over her brother (on the plane) and his wife was also there and she was supposed to be on the plane with him,” Jacobs said, adding that his wife was an ordinary diver who was hit by the tandem jumper.
The commercial plane operated by Skydive Kansas City departed from Butler Memorial Airport and made an “unexplained turn” before crashing near a local highway around 11:20 a.m. local time, according to the Bates County Emergency Management Agency.
Skydive Kansas City conducted numerous trips over the weekend, according to the Bates County Emergency Management Agency. The plane took off on June 14, but had trouble climbing. Onlookers were horrified as the plane tried to turn wildly before impacting.
“They couldn’t get more than 100 feet off the ground,” Jacobs said, adding that the weather was great. “It’s very likely an engine issue, but we won’t know until the NTSB report comes out,” he added of the National Transportation Safety Board.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol is on scene to assist the Butler Police Department and Bates County Sheriff’s Office, the Missouri State Highway Patrol reported in the June 14 X-Post. Emergency crews and law enforcement agencies, including the Missouri State Highway Patrol, FAA, and NTSB, are currently searching the area.
The Bates County Emergency Management Agency told USA TODAY that no survivors were found along the flight path.
The investigation is expected to last several days, according to the Bates County Emergency Management Agency.
This story has been updated to add new information.
