12 Killed in Missouri Skydiving Plane Crash

A private plane operated by Skydive Kansas City crashed shortly after takeoff near Butler Memorial Airport in Missouri on Sunday, killing all 12 people aboard. The aircraft was carrying a pilot and 11 skydivers when it experienced power issues and went down around noon local time.

The crash occurred about 65 miles south of Kansas City, with emergency responders receiving a call at approximately 11:30 a.m. regarding a plane engulfed in flames. The fire was extinguished shortly after the crash, which was described as 'brutal' by Missouri Highway Patrol Sgt. Justin Ewing.

The Pacific Aerospace P750XL turboprop plane crashed near Business 49 Highway, with emergency responders and local authorities assisting at the scene. According to Dennis Jacobs, acting airport manager and Bates County Emergency Management Agency director, the plane had just taken off and made a left turn before it lost power and stalled.

A witness to the crash reported that 'the plane just completely like shattered with the ground' upon impact. Bailey Reed, who saw the crash happen, described the plane as being perpendicular to the ground going fast before it hit and burst into flames. Reed stated that the people on board would not have had a chance to deploy parachutes.

'They didn't have time to jump,' she told CBS News. 'They were so low to the ground the parachutes wouldn't have deployed and there was no way anyone could have jumped and survived that.' Family members of the people on the plane were also present to cheer on their loved ones and witnessed the tragedy unfold.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are leading the investigation into the cause of the crash. The NTSB is working alongside local authorities to identify all victims and notify their next of kin, with Skydive Kansas City extending its condolences to the families affected.

Several of the skydivers killed were experienced jumpers and belonged to a close-knit community known as the 'sky family.' Kevin Payne, who had jumped with seven of the victims, described them as individuals brought together by their shared passion for skydiving. The exact cause of the crash remains unknown, but weather did not appear to be a factor.

The plane was roughly 100 feet from the ground when it made an abrupt left turn before crashing. It appeared to be losing power, and the pilot may have been trying to reach a highway to land when the plane stalled and went down nose first. The Pacific Aerospace P750XL is a popular model in skydiving due to its ability to quickly take parachutists to jumping altitudes while using short runways.

This particular plane had made nine successful flights in the days before the crash, including two on Sunday morning. Federal investigators have previously voiced concerns about weak oversight for skydiving operators and the need for stronger aircraft inspections. The NTSB said after a crash killed 11 people in Hawaii that the FAA’s regulatory system isn’t strong enough to ensure the safety of skydiving flights.

The United States Parachute Association stated that Skydive Kansas City adheres to the safety standards set by the largest skydiving organization in the world, including all maintenance requirements established by the FAA. The skydiving industry says it has a strong safety record, with nearly 3.5 million jumps completed last year and 16 civilian deaths, the majority from human error.