Missouri plane carrying skydivers crashes, 12 presumed dead
All twelve occupants of a plane that went down near Butler, Missouri, are presumed dead, officials said.
Missouri State Highway Patrol said the twelve people aboard a plane that crashed near Butler, Missouri, are presumed dead. The aircraft, which was transporting skydivers from Skydive Kansas City, went down Sunday morning close to Butler Memorial Airport along Business Interstate 49.
According to Butler Memorial Airport acting manager Dennis Jacobs, the plane had just taken off, failed to gain altitude, made a sharp left turn and may have tried to land on the highway before crashing.
Butler County Sheriff Chad Anderson described the incident as an accident and said troopers, Butler Police and the Bates County Sheriff’s Office are on the scene. Business Interstate 49 has been closed in both directions for at least two days, and the airport will remain closed for an unspecified period.
Video from the site shows smoke rising from wreckage in a field. The National Transportation Safety Board is gathering information and expects to dispatch a team. The Federal Aviation Administration and Skydive Kansas City have not responded to requests for comment.
