Twelve killed in Missouri skydiving plane crash
All 12 passengers and crew died in the Sunday morning accident near Butler.
Twelve people died Sunday when a plane carrying skydivers crashed near Butler Memorial Airport in Missouri. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported that emergency teams responded to the crash and an associated fire at approximately 11:30 a.m.
First responders extinguished the fire shortly after arriving at the scene in a field adjacent to the airport. The airport is located about 65 miles south of Kansas City in Bates County.
The aircraft was a Pacific Aerospace 750XL, a single-engine turboprop manufactured in 2010, according to Federal Aviation Administration records. The model is capable of carrying 17 skydivers and is used for cargo, aerial surveying, and medical evacuations.
Sergeant Justin Ewing of the Missouri State Highway Patrol stated that the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the incident. Authorities have not released the names, ages, or hometowns of the deceased.
Butler Memorial Airport serves approximately 30 private aircraft, including skydiving operators and crop dusters. Skydiving companies in the area typically operate from late March or early April through November.
