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12 Killed in Missouri Plane Crash During Skydiving Outing
๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ United States /Disasters & Emergencies

12 Killed in Missouri Plane Crash During Skydiving Outing

From PBS NewsHour · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement Under investigation
  • A plane carrying 11 skydivers and a pilot crashed in Missouri, killing all 12 people aboard.
  • The aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff near Butler Memorial Airport, engulfing in flames.
  • Federal and state investigators are en route to the scene to determine the cause of the crash.

A plane carrying a pilot and 11 passengers on a skydiving outing crashed in Missouri on Sunday, resulting in the deaths of all 12 individuals on board. The incident occurred near the Butler Memorial Airport, a small facility serving the town of Butler, located about 65 miles south of Kansas City.

It landed in a field adjacent to the airport, but I think they're shutting down the roadway just as a precaution.

โ€” Sgt. Justin EwingMissouri Highway Patrol Sergeant describing the crash site and immediate response.

Emergency responders received a call around 11:30 a.m. reporting a downed aircraft engulfed in flames. The plane, a Pacific Aerospace 750XL operated by Skydive Kansas City, had reportedly just taken off and made a left turn before crashing in a field adjacent to the airport. Witnesses suggested the plane might have been losing power.

In my opinion I think it was losing power, and he was trying to make it over to the highway and land, and he stalled and went down nose first and caught fire.

โ€” Dennis JacobsActing airport manager and emergency management director offering a preliminary assessment of the crash.

Authorities have secured the crash site, where mangled metal lay in the grass amidst a large presence of emergency vehicles. The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are dispatching teams to investigate the cause of the crash. The aircraft, manufactured in 2010, is a model commonly used for skydiving operations. Officials have stated that no one appeared to have jumped from the plane before the crash.

It had just taken off and made a left turn.

โ€” Dennis JacobsDescribing the aircraft's final moments before the crash.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by PBS NewsHour in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.