A plane crash that killed 12 on Sunday morning was one of the deadliest skydiving related accidents in the US in recent years. Eleven skydivers and the pilot died in the Missouri skydiving accident. The crash occurred shortly after the plane took off from the Butler Memorial Airport about 60 miles south of Kansas City.
The plane was carrying a group of skydivers for a scheduled jump and crashed shortly after taking off from the airport. Emergency responders arrived on the scene shortly thereafter to find the plane in flames.
All 12 On Board Feared Dead After Take-off Crash
The aircraft was having trouble almost immediately after takeoff. Preliminary reports from the Missouri State Highway Patrol and local authorities indicated that the Pacific Aerospace P750 XL single-engine turboprop aircraft had lost power after takeoff. According to the acting airport manager and Bates County’s emergency management director, the aircraft did not gain sufficient altitude to turn left for landing and crashed approximately 300 yards from the runway. Witnesses and local officials reported seeing the aircraft struggling shortly after leaving the airport.
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Plane Burst Into Flames After Impact
The plane hit the ground and exploded into flames when it crashed into a field next to the airport. When emergency personnel arrived at the site of the crash, they were met with a burning piece of wreckage. Firefighters were able to put out the fire, but all of the individuals who were on board the aircraft had passed away by that time.
Authorities did extensive ground and aerial drone searches of the crash site to determine if anyone had survived the crash. In a later statement, officials confirmed that all twelve individuals on board died as a result of the crash.
To date, there are no publicly available names of the deceased individuals because law enforcement agencies are still working to provide family members with notification of their death.
The crash has been especially devastating to some family members/friends of those who were on board the aircraft, as they have reported to have experienced the crash first hand while standing on the ground at the time of the crash. Some of these individuals were at the airport for the purpose of viewing the skydivers when the aircraft crashed shortly after take-off.
State officials have made grief supported and counselling available to the families affected by this tragedy and to the local community. The skydiving community, which generally is a close-knit group, has also expressed disbelief and utter sadness at the loss of life from this tragedy.
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Skydiving Company Mourns Victims
Skydive Kansas City, a company that has been doing skydiving operations since 1998, was operating the aircraft. The company described the accident as a heartbreaking loss and expressed sympathy to the families of those killed.
The company stated that it is fully complying with investigators, and it is committed to helping the families of the victims through this difficult time.
Federal Investigation Underway
The FAA and the NTSB are in the midst of investigating the accident. As part of the investigation, the NTSB will look at many different areas, such as the maintenance history of the aircraft, the performance of the engine, the weather conditions, the qualifications of the pilots, and how the aircraft was operated.
Officials said the weather was clear at the time of the accident; therefore, it appears there were no environmental factors involved in the accident. However, officials have cautioned that nothing should be concluded until the evidence is completely reviewed.
It will take several months for the NTSB to complete the investigation. The final report that indicates the probable cause of the accident may take 12 to 24 months to be issued.
Among Deadliest Skydiving Accidents in Years
According to aviation experts, the Missouri crash is one of the deadliest skydiving-related aircraft accidents in this country over the past two decades. In the last ten years, there have been multiple fatalities due to skydiving incidents involving aircraft; however, very few have resulted in so many deaths at once.
This incident has brought renewed focus to safety regulation in commercial skydiving operations. Prior NTSB investigations have identified issues related to aircraft maintenance and regulatory oversight in certain parts of the skydiving industry.
Community in Mourning
In Butler and throughout the greater skydiving community, there is an overwhelming sense of loss after the sudden death of 12 people. A scheduled skydiving flight resulting in tragedy only minutes after takeoff leaves family members searching for closure, and regulatory organizations looking for reasons behind the year’s most tragic aviation accident.
