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By Hollie Silverman
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All 12 people aboard a skydiving plane have died after it crashed near Butler Memorial Airport in Missouri on Sunday, according to officials.
The crash happened around 11:30 a.m. local time about 65 miles south of Kansas City, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP).
Multiple agencies, including the MSHP, the Butler Police Department and the Bates County Sheriff’s Office are on scene after a 911 call was placed about a downed plane engulfed in fire, MSHP Sergeant Justin Ewing said.
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Ewing explained a how a Skydive Kansas City (Skydive KC) plane "landed in a field adjacent to the airport," adding that first responders were able to extinguish the blaze and roads in the area will be closed as the investigation continues.
The identities of the deceased will not be released until all next of kin have been notified, Skydive KC said in a statement to local broadcaster KCTV5.
"This is a devastating loss for everyone connected to Skydive Kansas City and for the wider skydiving community," the operation said. "Our deepest sympathies are with the families, friends, and loved ones of all who were lost."
A spokesperson for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told Newsweek in an email Sunday that it will investigate the incident, along with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which is taking the lead.
Teams from both agencies are already en route to the crash scene, according to an X post from the MSHP.
Once investigators arrive in Butler, they will document the scene and examine the aircraft, Jennifer Gabris, a spokesperson for the NTSB, told Newsweek in an email Sunday.
"Part of the investigation will be to request radar data, weather information, maintenance records and the pilot’s medical records," she said. "NTSB investigators will look at the human, machine and environment as the outline of the investigation."
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What Led to the Crash?
According to Dennis Jacobs, the acting airport manager and Bates County Emergency Management Agency director, the private plane was operated by Skydive Kansas City. Newsweek reached out to the company by email Sunday for comment.
Jacobs said the plane “had just taken off and made a left turn” before the crash.
“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," he said, calling the crash "brutal."
Jacobs said it doesn't appear anyone tried to jump out before the crash, citing first responders who checked the flight path area.
Ewing said the airport is small, only serving around 30 privately owned aircrafts that include sky diving planes and crop-dusting companies.
Aviation safety expert Jeff Guzzetti said poor maintenance has been a factor in a number of skydiving plane crashes because companies are not held to a high standard under FAA rules. Guzzetti added skydiving companies are governed by the same rules any private plane owner has to follow and not the more stringent rules that charter flight operators and airlines adhere to.
“There’s been a whole history of skydiving accidents for inadequate maintenance and deficient safety culture,” said Guzzetti who used to be a crash investigator for both the NTSB and FAA.
Skydive KC said: "Skydive Kansas City is working closely with local authorities, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). At this time, the focus of the management and ownership team is to assist investigators and to support the staff and the broader skydiving community. The entire team is in shock, and the community is close-knit."
"We ask for privacy as we direct all efforts toward managing this tragedy and remaining available to authorities as they work to determine the cause," it added.
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What We Know About the Plane
The aircraft was a Pacific Aerospace P750, the FAA spokesperson said, adding that "air traffic services were not being provided at the time."
The plane is a single‑engine turboprop aircraft commonly used for skydiving, though it has also been deployed for cargo transport, aerial surveying and medical evacuation missions.
It can carry up to 17 skydivers and is designed to operate on short runways. The aircraft was built in 2010, FAA records show.
"The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 skydiving flight," Gabris told Newsweek.
A preliminary report about the accident will be available within 30 days and a probable cause will be detailed in a final report 12-24 months from the accident, according to Gabris.
Update 06/15/2026 03:12 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information
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