All 12 people aboard a skydiving plane were killed when it crashed and burst into flames moments after takeoff from Butler Memorial Airport in Butler, Missouri, on Sunday, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said — one of the deadliest US skydiving accidents in decades.
The aircraft, operated by Skydive Kansas City, went down around 11:30 a.m. local time roughly 300 yards from the runway, about 70 miles south of Kansas City. Eleven skydivers and the pilot died; authorities said there were no survivors.
The plane had just lifted off when it was "unable to get visual altitude," made a sharp left turn and crashed nose-first, according to officials. The acting airport manager said the pilot appeared to be losing power and "was trying to make it over to the highway and land, and he stalled and went down nose first and caught fire."
Emergency crews from several surrounding counties responded to the burning wreckage in a field near the airport. The Bates County coroner was called to the scene, and the identities of the victims were not immediately released pending notification of families.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration both opened investigations. NTSB investigators typically examine the aircraft's maintenance records, the pilot's qualifications, weather conditions and the engine in determining a probable cause, a process that can take a year or more.
Skydiving operations frequently use older single-engine turboprops modified to carry jumpers, and the sport has seen a number of fatal takeoff and climb-out accidents over the years. Investigators had not identified the aircraft type or its maintenance history by Sunday evening.