BUTLER, MO — A Pacific Aerospace P750 carrying 11 skydivers and their pilot crashed and burst into flames shortly after takeoff from Butler Memorial Airport on Sunday morning, killing all 12 people aboard in one of the deadliest U.S. skydiving accidents in decades.
The single-engine turboprop aircraft operated by Skydive Kansas City went down around 11:30 a.m. in a field near the rural airport, about 60 miles south of Kansas City. Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board investigators are leading the probe into what caused the 2010-manufactured aircraft to crash just moments after departing the airport’s lone runway. Nine of the victims were experienced skydivers, while two were participating in tandem jumps, according to Bates County Emergency Management Director Dennis Jacobs.
Witnesses described watching in horror as the aircraft failed to gain altitude before plummeting to earth. “It had just taken off and made a left turn,” Jacobs told The Associated Press. “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.” Emergency responders received the 911 call at approximately 11:35 a.m. and arrived to find the wreckage engulfed in flames on airport property. Firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze, but Missouri Highway Patrol Sgt. Justin Ewing called the scene “brutal.”
The crash devastated family members who had gathered at the airport to watch their loved ones skydive on what locals described as perfect jumping weather. “One lady that was there was watching her brother [on the plane], and his wife was there, too, and she was supposed to be on the plane with them,” Jacobs told reporters. Bates County Sheriff Chad Anderson said multiple witnesses to the crash included relatives of passengers killed in the wreck. “Our hearts go out to them,” Anderson said during a Sunday afternoon briefing. “We just pray for them and their loved ones and their friends and their family.” Flight-tracking data from FlightAware showed the aircraft had completed two successful flights earlier Sunday morning, departing at 9:20 a.m. and 10:32 a.m., before the fatal third departure.
Butler Memorial Airport serves as a popular destination for skydivers due to its calm weather conditions and low winds during summer months. Local residents Daniel and Kendra Stewart, who live near the airport, said they typically hear the sounds of aircraft engines and skydivers calling to each other as they descend with open parachutes. “Then you can hear all the guys kind of laughing and yelling to each other,” Kendra Stewart told the Kansas City Star. “That’s why we’re so surprised we didn’t hear anything [on Sunday], because we can hear them talking in the sky.” Neighbor Jeff Davis, whose home sits just hundreds of yards from the crash site, said news of the wreck “broke my heart” as he frequently watched skydivers from his backyard. The eerie silence in the skies Sunday morning served as the first indication to locals that something had gone wrong.
The FAA records show the Pacific Aerospace 750XL was registered to SkyHi Aero LLC, based in Jasper, Tennessee, with a current airworthiness certificate issued in January 2023 and set to expire in January 2030. The aircraft model is specifically designed for skydiving operations and can carry up to 17 skydivers or six tandem teams when properly configured. NTSB investigators are expected to arrive Monday to begin documenting the scene and examining the aircraft wreckage. The investigation will include requests for radar data, weather information, aircraft maintenance records, and the pilot’s medical records. A preliminary report focused on factual information is typically available within 30 days, while a final report determining probable cause could take 12 to 24 months to complete.
Skydive Kansas City, which has operated from the airport for years, issued a statement calling the crash “a devastating loss for everyone connected to Skydive Kansas City and for the wider skydiving community.” The company, which has been in business since 1998 with sister operations in Indianapolis and Wisconsin, said it is cooperating fully with federal investigators. “At this time, the focus of the management and ownership team is to assist investigators and to support the staff and the broader skydiving community,” the statement read. “The entire team is in shock, and the community is close-knit.” Travis Phippen, who lost friends in the crash, described the victims as people who “love life” and “love experiencing the most life has to offer.” The Missouri Department of Mental Health’s Behavioral Health Strike Team deployed grief counselors to assist those affected by the tragedy.
Butler Memorial Airport remains closed indefinitely as federal investigators work to determine what caused the aircraft to lose power and crash. Sheriff Anderson said authorities found no indication of criminal activity and believe the incident was accidental. Officials conducted ground and drone searches of the crash site to determine if anyone had been able to jump from the aircraft before impact, but confirmed all 12 occupants died in the wreckage. The identities of the victims have not been released pending notification of next of kin, though authorities continue working to contact family members of those killed.
