The plane went down near Butler Memorial Airport after taking off Sunday morning.
BUTLER, Mo. — Federal aviation investigators were sent to western Missouri after a private skydiving plane crashed near Butler Memorial Airport on Sunday morning, killing the pilot and 11 passengers aboard, local and state authorities said.
The crash is now the focus of an inquiry by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board. Local officials said the aircraft went down soon after takeoff, burst into flames and left no survivors, turning a weekend skydiving outing into a mass fatality scene.
Bates County Sheriff Chad Anderson said the crash happened around 11:30 a.m. after the aircraft departed the airport in Butler, a small community south of Kansas City. Some family members of people aboard saw the plane go down, Anderson said. Clergy and volunteers were called to support relatives while officials worked to identify the dead and notify families.
Dennis Jacobs, the acting airport manager and Bates County emergency management director, said the aircraft was operated by Skydive Kansas City. He described the plane as having just taken off and turned left before it crashed. Jacobs said he believed the plane may have been losing power and that the pilot appeared to be trying to reach a nearby highway before the aircraft stalled and hit nose first.
The wreckage burned in a field near the airport before firefighters put out the flames. Emergency responders also searched the area below the flight path and did not find anyone who may have jumped before impact, Jacobs said. The crash scene remained blocked Sunday, with deputies and emergency crews controlling access near the airport and highway.
The aircraft was a Pacific Aerospace 750XL, a single-engine turboprop built in 2010, according to FAA records cited by officials. The model is used by skydiving operators and can also carry cargo, conduct aerial surveys and support medical evacuation flights. Its design allows it to operate from shorter runways.
Investigators had not announced a cause. The NTSB is expected to examine the aircraft’s maintenance records, engine condition, pilot records, weather, flight path and witness statements. Flight tracking data showed the plane had made two short flights earlier Sunday, two more Saturday and five Friday before the fatal crash.
The crash also renews attention on skydiving flight oversight. The NTSB has previously raised concerns about FAA regulation of skydiving operators, including after a 2019 crash in Hawaii that killed 11 people. The agency has said past investigations found gaps in safety oversight for such flights.
Skydive Kansas City did not immediately provide detailed public comment to The Associated Press. Local officials said the airport and nearby highway would stay closed while federal investigators remained on scene.
The victims’ names had not been released pending family notifications. The investigation’s next major step is the NTSB’s preliminary report, which typically outlines early facts but does not assign a final cause.
Author note: Last updated June 15, 2026.