12 Killed When Skydiving Plane Crashes Near Butler, Missouri

A single-engine turboprop carrying a pilot and 11 skydivers went down near Butler Memorial Airport in Missouri on Sunday, killing everyone on board. Emergency crews responded to a call about a plane down and ablaze at about 11:30 a.m., and the wreckage was found in a field adjacent to the runway.

Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Justin Ewing said troopers assisted local police and the Bates County sheriff’s office at the scene, and that the roadway was closed as a precaution. Teams from the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration were dispatched to investigate.

Dennis Jacobs, acting airport manager and director of the Bates County Emergency Management Agency, said the aircraft, operated by Skydive Kansas City, had just taken off, made a left turn, and appeared to lose power. He added that the pilot likely attempted to reach the highway, stalled, and the plane went nose-first into the grass, igniting a fire that responders later extinguished.

"In my opinion 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," Jacobs said.

The aircraft, a Pacific Aerospace 750XL built in 2010, is commonly used for skydiving and can carry up to 17 jumpers. The small airport hosts about 30 privately owned planes, including crop-dusting and skydiving operations.

Aviation safety analyst Jeff Guzzetti noted that skydiving operators are subject only to standard private-aircraft regulations, which can result in maintenance shortfalls compared with stricter charter or airline standards.

"There’s been a whole history of skydiving accidents for inadequate maintenance and deficient safety culture," Guzzetti said.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation, and officials have not identified any jumpers who may have attempted to exit the aircraft before impact.