Plane Crash in Missouri Claims 12 Lives
On Sunday, Missouri authorities confirmed that a tragic incident resulted in the deaths of 12 individuals in a plane crash described as a “mass casualty” event. All members on board—the 11 skydivers and their pilot—perished in the accident.
The crash occurred near the Butler Memorial Airport, located about 105 miles south of Kansas City. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper X, the plane went down and was quickly engulfed in flames, although emergency services managed to extinguish the fire shortly after the crash.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stated that a Pacific Aerospace P750 crashed around 11:35 a.m. local time while taking off from the airport. It’s worth noting that air traffic services were not operational at that time. Both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will conduct an investigation, with the NTSB taking the lead.
A spokesperson for the Bates County Emergency Management Agency indicated that the crash happened as the aircraft veered off course and went down near the Business 49 Freeway for reasons yet to be determined. Dennis Jacobs, acting airport manager, mentioned that the plane might have suffered power issues just before the crash.
“We had just taken off and turned left,” Jacobs recalled. “In my opinion, the engine was losing power. He was on the highway trying to land and it stalled, going nose-first into the ground where it caught fire.”
Local police and deputies from the Bates County Sheriff’s Office promptly responded to the scene and are contributing to the ongoing investigation. Sheriff Chad Anderson clarified that there were no indications of foul play, characterizing the crash as an accident.
“We’re treating this as a national or mass casualty situation,” he remarked, emphasizing that the plane was not a passenger aircraft but a local plane departing from a nearby airport. The passengers were primarily individuals preparing for tandem skydives, many of whom were inexperienced and attempting it for the first time. Disturbingly, some victims’ families were present at the airport and witnessed the horrific event unfold.
Sergeant Justin Ewing from the Missouri State Highway Patrol reported that the plane landed in a field next to the airport, leading to nearby road closures as a precautionary measure. The aircraft involved was a 2020 model single-engine turboprop, commonly used for skydiving and capable of operating from short runways.
