Butler: Twelve people, including 11 skydivers and a pilot, were killed after a small aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff in the US state of Missouri, authorities confirmed.
The aircraft, leased by a local skydiving company, departed from Butler Memorial Airport at approximately 11:20 a.m. local time. According to Bates County Emergency Management officials, the plane failed to gain sufficient altitude after takeoff, made a sharp left turn, and crashed around 200 yards from the airport.
All 12 people on board died in the accident. Bates County Sheriff Chad Anderson described the incident as a ‘mass casualty event’ during a press conference and confirmed that the aircraft was not a commercial airliner but a local plane operating from the airport.
Preliminary information shows a skydiving aircraft, a Pacific Aerospace P750, crashed while departing Butler Memorial Airport in Missouri at approximately 11:35 a.m. local time on June 14 with 12 people on board.
At the time of the crash, the FAA was not providing air traffic… https://t.co/FMCN81Jzyj
— The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) June 14, 2026
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) identified the aircraft as a Pacific Aerospace P750. Officials noted that air traffic control services were not being provided at the time of the crash, as the aircraft was operating in airspace where communication with controllers was not required.
Local media reports indicated that emergency responders searched the surrounding area to determine whether any skydivers had managed to exit the aircraft before impact. However, authorities confirmed that all individuals on board perished in the crash.
Sheriff Anderson said some family members of the victims witnessed the tragic incident. Authorities have not yet released the identities of those killed pending notification of next of kin. The city of Butler is located about 50 miles south of the Kansas City metropolitan area.
The investigation into the cause of the crash is being led by the National Transportation Safety Board, with assistance from the Federal Aviation Administration. Officials said further details will be released as the investigation progresses.
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