Twelve people killed in Missouri plane crash, skydiving company says
June 14 (Reuters) – Eleven skydivers and a pilot died when a private plane crashed in Butler, Missouri, on Sunday, plane operator Skydive Kansas City said.
“The crash occurred near Butler Memorial Airport, approximately 60 miles (100 km) south of Kansas City, Missouri,” the Missouri State Highway Patrol said.
“Tragically, all 12 people on board lost their lives in the accident,” the skydiving company said. he said.
The company said the names of those involved will not be released until all relatives are notified. He added that he is working closely with local authorities, the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.
Dennis Jacobs, acting airport manager and Bates County emergency management director, told Reuters that the single-engine turboprop plane took off around 11:20 a.m. CT (1620 GMT) but did not gain visual altitude before making a sharp left turn and crashing about 300 yards (274 m) from the runway.
The NTSB determined the plane was a Pacific Aerospace 750XL.
“This was not a commercial plane that crashed; it was a local plane that took off from our local airport,” Bates County Sheriff Chad Anderson said. “This appears to be an accident,” Anderson said at a news conference.
He said family members of the victims witnessed the crash.
FAA officials were at the crash scene, Anderson said. Investigators are expected to arrive at the scene Monday, the NTSB said in a statement.
The NTSB said a final report on the probable cause of the crash is expected in 12 to 24 months.
Multiple local fire departments and coroner’s offices responded following the emergency call shortly before 11:30 a.m., Anderson said.
(Reporting by Gnaneshwar Rajan; Julie Ingwersen and Julie Steenhuysen in Chicago; Writing by Christian Martinez; Editing by Sergio Non, Edmund Klamann and Chizu Nomiyama)
