12 Killed in Private Skydiving Plane Crash Near Butler, Missouri

A private skydiving aircraft crashed near Business 49 Highway in Butler, Missouri, shortly after departing Butler Memorial Airport at about 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, killing all 12 people on board – the pilot and 11 skydivers, according to local emergency officials.

Dennis Jacobs, acting airport manager and director of Bates County emergency management, said the single-engine turboprop made a left turn after takeoff, appeared to lose power, and stalled while attempting to reach the highway for an emergency landing, resulting in a nose-first impact and fire.

Multiple agencies, including the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Butler Police, Bates County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), responded to the scene. Firefighters extinguished the blaze soon after the crash.

The FAA confirmed that a Pacific Aerospace P750 aircraft crashed while departing the airport and noted that air traffic services were not being provided at the time. The NTSB will lead an investigation, which may take a year or more to determine the cause.

Flight tracking data shows the aircraft had completed two short flights earlier that day, with additional flights logged on the preceding two days. The Pacific Aerospace 750XL model, built in 2010, is commonly used for skydiving, cargo, aerial surveying and medical evacuation, and can carry over 4,000 lb.

The NTSB has previously highlighted regulatory gaps in skydiving operations following a 2019 crash in Hawaii that killed 11 people.