Eleven skydivers and a pilot died in the crash of a private plane on Sunday in Butler, Missouri, aircraft operator Skydive Kansas City said.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol said the crash occurred near the Butler Memorial Airport, about 60 miles south of Kansas City, Missouri.
“Tragically, all 12 individuals aboard lost their lives in the accident,” the skydiving company said.
The names of those involved will not be released until all next of kin have been notified, the company said. It added that it is working closely with local authorities, the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.
Dennis Jacobs, the acting airport manager and Bates County emergency management director, told Reuters that the single-engine turboprop airplane took off around 11:20 a.m. CT but did not gain visual altitude before making a sharp left turn and crashing some 300 yards from the runway.
The NTSB identified the aircraft as a Pacific Aerospace 750XL.
“This is not a commercial airliner that has crashed; it’s a local airplane 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.
Family members of the victims witnessed the crash, he said.
Officials with the FAA are at the scene of the crash, Anderson said. The NTSB said in a statement that investigators are expected to arrive on the scene on Monday.
A final report on the probable cause of the crash is expected in 12-24 months, the NTSB said.
Multiple local fire departments and coroners’ offices responded after an emergency call was made shortly before 11:30 a.m., Anderson said.
