Twelve people were killed in a plane crash near Butler, Missouri, on Sunday.
According to Bates county emergency management, a private plane that had departed Butler Memorial airport shortly before 11.30am turned back before crashing near Business 49 Highway, Fox 4 reported.
Sources told the outlet that 11 of the victims were skydivers, while the 12th was the pilot.
The private plane was operated by Skydive Kansas City, said Dennis Jacobs, the acting airport manager and Bates county emergency management agency director. It was identified as a single engine turboprop plane.
“It had just taken off and made a left turn” before the crash, Jacobs said. “In my opinion, I think it was losing power, and he was trying to make it over to the highway and land, and he stalled and went down nose first and caught fire.”
Multiple agencies responded to the scene, including the Missouri state highway patrol, the Butler police department, the Bates county sheriff’s office, the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board, KMBC reported.
Emergency responders put out the fire in the wreckage soon after the crash, Jacobs said, calling the scene “brutal”. First responders also checked the area under the flight path and did not find anyone who might have tried to jump out before the plane came down, he said.
Videos posted online appeared to show a heavily damaged aircraft in a grassy area, with plumes of white smoke rising from the wreckage.
The FAA also confirmed the crash, telling the Guardian in a statement: “A Pacific Aerospace P750 crashed while departing from Butler Memorial airport in Missouri around 11.35am local time on Sunday, June 14. Air traffic services were not being provided at the time. Twelve people were on board. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate. The NTSB will lead the investigation.”
Data from the digital flight tracking company FlightAware shows the plane had already completed two short flights on Sunday before the crash. Two more successful flights were logged on Saturday, and five on Friday, according to FlightAware.
The Pacific Aerospace 750XL that crashed is a model that is popular for skydiving and also has proven useful for carrying cargo, aerial surveying and medical evacuation flights. The aircraft can carry more than 4,000lb (1,800kg) and is capable of taking off and landing on short runways, according to the manufacturer. The plane was built in 2010, according to FAA records.
The exact cause of Sunday’s crash will not be clear for a year or more until the NTSB publishes its final report.
The NTSB has previously raised concerns about the weak oversight for skydiving operators in past crash investigations. The agency said after a 2019 crash that killed 11 people in Hawaii that the FAA’s regulatory system is not strong enough to ensure the safety of skydiving flights.
Associated Press contributed reporting
