A pilot and 11 skydivers have died after a private plane crashed in Butler, Missouri on Sunday morning.
The aircraft – a Pacific Aerospace P750 – crashed just after takeoff at 11.30am, a spokesperson with Bates County Emergency Management and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told the Daily Mail.
The plane took off from Butler Memorial Airport when it ‘wasn’t able to get enough climb,’ and attempted to make a left turn to land on an adjacent highway, the spokesperson told Daily Mail.
‘The plane wasn’t able to land,’ and it crashed and burst into flames near Business 49 Highway, the spokesperson confirmed.
Emergency responders were able to extinguish the fire shortly after the crash, with Missouri Highway Patrol Sgt Justin Ewing calling the scene ‘brutal.’
Eleven victims were skydivers from the company Skydive Kansas City, and the other victim was the pilot. All passengers on the aircraft died.
Authorities have not yet released the identities of those on board.
According to Bates County Emergency Management Director Dennis Jacobs, nine of the 11 skydivers were experienced jumpers, while two were participating in tandem jumps, USA Today reported.
Jacobs added that multiple witnesses, including family members of some passengers, watched in horror as the aircraft crashed.
‘One lady that was there was watching her brother [on the plane], and his wife was there, too, and she was supposed to be on the plane with them,’ Jacobs told the outlet.
When contacted by a reporter at the Daily Mail, a representative of Skydive Kansas City emphatically said they ‘can not talk about this right now’ before abruptly ending the call.
Local police, first responders, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol are on the scene of the fiery wreckage.
Emergency management officials said all lanes of the highway, stretching a half-mile north and south of the crash site, remain closed.
In a press conference, officials said the investigation and clearing of the wreckage will take about two days.
The crash site was secured by police tape as local law enforcement is on the scene.
‘The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate. The NTSB will lead the investigation,’ the FAA told Daily Mail.
Butler Memorial Airport serves around 30 aircrafts, all privately owned, including crop dusting companies and sky dive operators.
The small town of Butler has a population of around 4,300 people and is roughly 65 miles south of Kansas City.
Skydive Kansas City is a ‘premier skydiving center’ located in Orange St Butler, Missouri.
The company has been in business since 1998, serving the Kansas City, Topeka, and Overland Park community.
The skydiving center was founded by a father-son duo Chris and John Hall, united by a passion for the adrenaline-fueled sport.
John has skydived since 1973 and ‘witnessed the industry grow from old military round parachutes to today’s modern ram-air canopies,’ according to their website.
He was long regarded as one of the region’s top demonstration jumpers, performing aerial displays across the Kansas City metro area since the early 1970s.
Chris started skydiving at the age of 18 and has expert skills in freefall photography. He competed in the ESPN X Games Pro Tour in 1996, per the website.
The Pacific Aerospace P750 aircraft was initially designed to the narrow market of skydiving.
The plane’s high-lift wings and powerful engine allow it to efficiently transport a full load of parachutists to an altitude of 12,000 ft before returning to land in approximately 10 minutes.
The aircraft can carry as many as 17 skydivers and is capable of taking off and landing on short runways.
The plane that crashed was manufactured in 2010, according to FAA records.
Sky diving companies operate in the region eight or nine months a year, with the season usually starting in late March or early April and lasting into October or November.
