Twelve people killed in plane crash on skydiving flight

Lead

Twelve people were killed on Sunday when a skydiving plane crashed near Butler Memorial Airport in Missouri, according to authorities. The aircraft, operated by Skydive Kansas City, was carrying a pilot and 11 passengers when it went down in a field adjacent to the airport, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said.

Emergency responders received a call around 11:30 a.m. local time that a plane was down and engulfed in flames, Missouri Highway Patrol Sergeant Justin Ewing said. The plane had just taken off and made a left turn before crashing, according to Dennis Jacobs, acting airport manager and Bates County Emergency Management Agency director.

Coverage Comparison

The crash was reported by multiple outlets, with most focusing on the basic facts: the location, the number of fatalities, and the operator. ABC Australia, Deutsche Welle, and the South China Morning Post all noted that the plane was carrying a pilot and 11 passengers, while the Jerusalem Post and The Hindu, in briefer reports, confirmed the 12 fatalities and the location. The Guardian provided additional details about the victims and the aircraft's passenger manifest.

The cause of the crash is not yet known, but investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) were en route to the scene, as reported by ABC Australia, Deutsche Welle, and the South China Morning Post. A final report on the cause is expected in 12 to 24 months, according to the NTSB, as cited by Deutsche Welle.

Key Claims

• All 12 people on board the plane died, as confirmed by the Missouri State Highway Patrol and reported by all six outlets.
• The crash occurred near Butler Memorial Airport, about 60 miles south of Kansas City, according to the same reports.
• The plane was operated by Skydive Kansas City, as stated by Dennis Jacobs and reported by ABC Australia and Deutsche Welle.
• The aircraft was a single-engine Pacific Aerospace P750XL, as identified by the FAA and reported by Deutsche Welle and The Guardian.
• The plane had just taken off from the Butler, Missouri, airport when it crashed, according to Jacobs and reported by ABC Australia and Deutsche Welle.
• The passengers included nine experienced skydivers, two tandem jumpers, and a pilot, as detailed by the Bates County department of emergency management and reported by The Guardian.
• Among the victims were a music teacher, a cancer survivor, and a new father, identified by family members, as reported by The Guardian.
• The NTSB and FAA are investigating the crash, as stated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol and reported by multiple outlets.

Perspectives

The investigation is being led by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which said it would send investigators to the scene. Bates County Sheriff Chad Anderson said at a press conference, "For all intents and purposes, appears to be an accident," expressing condolences for the victims' families.

Skydive Kansas City said in a statement, "Tragically, all 12 individuals aboard lost their lives in the accident." The company added, "This is a devastating loss for everyone connected to Skydive Kansas City and for the wider skydiving community. Our deepest sympathies are with the families, friends, and loved ones of all who were lost."

Dennis Jacobs suggested a possible cause, stating, "It had just taken off and made a left turn. 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." However, the official cause remains under investigation.