BUTLER, Mo. — A plane carrying 11 skydivers and a pilot crashed shortly after takeoff from Butler Memorial Airport on Sunday, killing all 12 people on board, authorities said.
The aircraft, operated by Skydive Kansas City, went down around 11:30 a.m. local time near Business 49 Highway in a rural area of Bates County, about 60 to 65 miles south of Kansas City, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol and other officials.
The plane, identified as a Pacific Aerospace P750, took off for a skydiving flight but turned back shortly afterward before crashing in a field and catching fire, officials said. No one aboard had jumped from the aircraft prior to the impact.
Dennis Jacobs, acting airport manager and Bates County Emergency Management Agency director, confirmed the operator was Skydive Kansas City. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported that all 12 occupants perished.
Skydive Kansas City issued a statement expressing sorrow over the loss. “This is a devastating loss for everyone connected to Skydive Kansas City and for the wider skydiving community,” the company said.
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation into the cause of the crash, with assistance from the Federal Aviation Administration, officials said. Details on what led to the incident remained unclear as of Monday.
Butler, a town of about 4,300 residents, is home to the small airport that has hosted skydiving operations for years. The crash is the latest in a series of aviation incidents involving skydiving flights in the region, though specific comparisons were not immediately detailed by authorities.
First responders from multiple agencies, including local fire departments and law enforcement, responded to the scene. The highway near the crash site was closed as investigators worked.
No information was immediately available on the identities of the victims, pending notification of families. Officials said the investigation would examine factors such as mechanical issues, weather conditions and pilot actions, but early findings had not been released.
As of Monday morning, recovery operations continued at the site and the NTSB had not provided a timeline for preliminary findings. The FAA confirmed 12 people were aboard the aircraft.
