A pilot and 11 skydivers were killed Sunday morning when a skydiving plane crashed shortly after takeoff from Butler Memorial Airport in Butler, Missouri, roughly 66 miles south of Kansas City.
The crash occurred around 11:30 a.m. local time, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, as reported by ABC News. The plane went down in a field that is part of the airport property.
The FAA identified the aircraft as a Pacific Aerospace P750 and confirmed 12 people were aboard. The agency said in a statement that air traffic services were not being provided at the time of the crash.
Bates County Sheriff Chad Anderson said at a news briefing that family members witnessed the crash. "Our hearts go out to them," Anderson said. "There's nothing we really can't say to make it better. We just pray for them and their loved ones, and their friends, and their family, and hope that they can recover some sense of normalcy, if they can."
Skydive Kansas City, the company that operated the flight, released a statement confirming the plane carried 11 skydivers and one pilot. "This is a devastating loss for everyone connected to Skydive Kansas City and for the wider skydiving community," a spokesperson said. "Our deepest sympathies are with the families, friends, and loved ones of all who were lost." The spokesperson added: "The entire team is in shock, and the community is close-knit."
Rep. Mark Alford, a Republican from Missouri, said at a news conference that some of the passengers were new to skydiving. "It's a beautiful day here, blue skies, green grass ... some of these were first-time skydivers preparing to skydive in a tandem formation," Alford said.
Authorities withheld the names of those killed pending notification of next of kin. The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA are both investigating.
